ALFRED, NY – Following four consecutive appearances in the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, the Alfred University women's soccer team is looking forward to what the fall season will bring. The Saxons will welcome a variety of both returners and new student-athletes to their roster.
 
Alfred University will be led by Head Coach Craig Yanni, who is entering his eighth season with the program.
 
"I thought last season was good in the fact that we didn't let the highs or lows get to us over the course of the year," Yanni said. "We knew if we got ourselves into the Empire 8 Tournament, we could compete with any other team. Our defense was solid and kept us in a lot of games, which was evident in the postseason."
 
Last season, the Saxons finished with a 4-6-7 overall record, which included a 2-1-5 record in Empire 8 conference competition. Alfred University clinched the No. 6 seed last season to return to the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, defeating No. 3 Utica University on penalty kicks before dropping a narrow loss to No. 2 St. John Fisher University in the semifinals. 
 
Up front, the Saxons will be led by junior Abby Scanlan (Albion, NY/Charles D'Amico). Last season, Scanlan was named to the All-Empire 8 First Team. She finished ninth in the Empire 8 conference with 12 points from five goals and a pair of assists. Scanlan ended the fall season with a team-high 18 shots on goal, recording the game-winning goal on the road against Houghton. Ahead of the 2024 season, Scanlan was listed as one of three team captains. 
 
"Abby brings a lot of positivity and energy to our roster," Yanni said. "She is constantly pushing her teammates to succeed, which was evident last year and during preseason this year."
 
In the midfield, Alyssa Smith (Pearl River, NY/Pearl River) will be among the returners. Smith is a four-year member of the women's soccer program, being named to the All-Empire 8 Third Team following the 2023 season. Last fall, Smith tallied three goals to go with an assist.
 
"Alyssa brings a high level of physicality and a great soccer IQ," Yanni said. "She is probably the healthiest she's been coming into this season, so we're looking forward to what she can bring to our midfield."
 
Nyah Solly (Colden, NY/Springville-Griffith Institute) will be returning to the Saxons for her respective senior season, being named as a team captain for the second consecutive season. Last season, Solly was named to the All-Empire 8 First Team and Empire 8 All-Tournament Team. Solly was one of two players for AU to record over 1,500 minutes logged last fall.
 
"Nyah is one of the best, if not the best, defenders in the conference," Yanni said. "Her ability to showcase leadership, along with her speed is very reliable. She is capable of putting our defensive third in a position to succeed against fast opposing forwards."
 
In goal, the Saxons will rely on Kiani Barnard-Pratt (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) ahead of her junior season. Barnard-Pratt put together an impressive sophomore season, being named to the Empire 8 All-Tournament. Barnard-Pratt currently leads AU women's soccer with a 1.07 career goals against average, while posting 14 career shutouts. Barnard-Pratt rounds out the three captains for Alfred University this fall.
 
"Kiani is a great shot stopper," Yanni said. "We're going to continue to work on other aspects of her game so she can develop into a vocal leader."
 
Alfred University will open their season at home against Hilbert College on August 30. Conference competition for the Saxons will begin on September 14 when the Saxons host Keuka College. The Empire 8 Championship Tournament is slated to run from November 2-9.
 
"It would be nice to see us improve on the offensive end," Yanni said. "We continue to evaluate as a coaching staff. We have proven that we can play elite defense but will look to find more offensive chances to take the early lead."