HARRISONBURG, Va. - Fall sport athletes are back on campus and the start of the regular season is right around the corner. Throughout this week, we will be taking a sneak peek at the year ahead for all of our fall sports. We're back with our second fall preview of the week, looking at our 2026 EMU Women's Soccer Team.
Head Coach:
Leo Alcoreza – Second Season
Preseason ODAC Poll: 10th (49 pts.)
2025 In Review
The Royals went 6-11-1, 4-6 in the ODAC and returned to the ODAC Tournament for the first time since the 2019 season, falling in the quarterfinals to eventual champion, Washington and Lee.
Leah Beachy was named Third Team All-ODAC, giving EMU their first All-ODAC honoree since the 2017 season. They graduated just four seniors, and brought in depth prior to the start of the season, with 15 players seeing at least 500 minutes.
2026 Schedule Highlights
Season/Home Opener: Tuesday, Sept. 1 vs Greensboro - 6:00 pm
ODAC Opener: Wednesday, Sept. 3 at Hollins - 5:00 pm
Green Bandana Game: Saturday, Sept. 26 vs Guilford - 2:00 pm
Homecoming/Rowdy Royals: Saturday, Oct. 10 vs Randolph - 7:00 pm
Senior Day: Saturday, Oct. 17 vs Averett - 6:00 pm
Full Schedule
Key Losses: Leah Beachy, Leah Cap, Liliana Guerrero, Katie Parks
Key Returners: Esme Cardoso, Addison Fornadel, Bridget Hay, Hannah Kepler, Maggie Ladd, Michelle Thompson, Hailey Walker
Full Roster
Outlook: EMU lost one of the most prolific goal scorers in Royals history with the graduation of Beachy, but with so many players seeing significant minutes during the 2025 season, Alcoreza is confident his team will pick back up right where it left off. In net,
CJ Jefferson saw action in 16 matches, making 54 saves. But first-year
Gabi Dewey will challenge Jefferson for the starting goalkeeper spot. Defensively, the backline of Jefferson,
Bryn Yoder and
Reese Lessard will make the Royals hard to score on. Hay, Kepler and Cardoso combined for nine goals and Alcoreza is excited about the addition of
Ava Scott, which will provide EMU with more firepower in the midfield.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding EMU women's soccer, follow EMU on Instagram, like EMU Athletics on Facebook or visit our website.
