Posted: Aug 25, 2021

Women's Soccer Ties For 3rd in MASCAC Coaches Pre-Season Poll

SALEM, Mass. -- The Salem State women's soccer team tied for third in MASCAC Women's Soccer Pre-Season Coaches Poll released on Wednesday. The Vikings will be bolstered by the return of former MASCAC Rookie of the Year Madison Pesce (Danvers, Mass.). The league's top rookie in 2019, spearheaded a defense that yielded seven shutouts and just 27 goals in 18 games in 2019. She will lead a solid core of returners as well as a talented, but unproven group of underclassmen.

Head Coach Nicolle Wood, who is beginning her 16^th season, is excited about the potential of her 2021 squad. "With only one returning starter (Pesce) from the 2019 roster, we will be the youngest we have been since my first season as head coach. It is difficult to know post-COVID how the team will come together and what the New England region will look like, but I expect us to re-set as our new players and returning team adjust to our system and style of play together."

We have nine freshmen and five sophomores, all of whom have not played in an intercollegiate match yet. We will be relying on our seniors (Angela Berry and Micaela Peysere - who missed the 2019 season with an achilles injury) and returning juniors (Lindsay Martins, Jill Tramandozzi, Kaley Moran, Lily Pfefferle) to lead this young squad."

The Vikings open at home on September 1 against WPI @ 7:00 PM.