ALFRED, NY – Following a fifth straight appearance in the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, the Alfred University women's soccer team is preparing for what the fall season will bring. The Saxons will welcome a variety of both returners and incoming first-year student-athletes to their roster.

Alfred University will be led by Head Coach Craig Yanni, who is entering his ninth season with the Saxons.

"I was glad about how we battled against the top teams in the conference last season," Yanni said. "We were sound defensively but will look to focus on putting the ball in the net. We will look to build off our progress from last fall."

The Saxons concluded last season with a 7-4-6 overall record, including a 3-3-5 record within Empire 8 competition. Alfred University clinched the No. 6 seed in the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, eventually falling to No. 3 St. John Fisher University in a competitive overtime effort.

Up front, Abby Scanlan (Albion, NY/Charles D'Amico) returns for her senior season with Alfred University. Last fall, Scanlan tallied 11 points from four goals and three assists. The captain is a two-time All-Empire 8 selection, earning recognition following both the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

"Abby is very talented when she is at the top of her game," Yanni said. "She can hopefully be a leader for us in the offensive third. We are looking forward to seeing what kind of year she has and the work she has put in over the summer."

Sidney Khuns (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport) and Isabelle Dennis (Livonia, NY/Livonia) will be among the veterans featured in the midfield for the Saxons this fall. Both started in all 17 games for AU last season, combining for 10 points from four goals and four assists. Entering the fall season, Khuns has been listed as a team captain.

"Sidney and Isabelle will prove to be the engine of this group," Yanni said. "They each showed what they bring with their work rate. We are excited to see what they do as a pair."

The defense will feature a variety of names, including Alex Ruzekowicz (Westvale, NY/West Genesee). Last season, Ruzekowicz was impressive in the defensive third across 84 minutes in the Empire 8 Championship Tournament against St. John Fisher.

"We will see what the growth looks like from our defense this fall," Yanni said. "Alex played well against Fisher and seems to have stepped up. We graduated a strong group, but we are confident in our roster."

In goal, Kiani Barnard-Pratt (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) is coming off a historic junior season. As a defense, Alfred University posted a 0.899 save percentage, which was seventh in the nation and the highest mark in the Empire 8 conference dating back to the 2018 season. Barnard-Pratt enters the fall season just one shutout performance away from tying Julie Francis '92 for the program record for career shutouts. 

"Kiani has grown to be a leader of this team," Yanni said. "She is becoming more vocal coming into her senior season. Kiani will play a larger role as a leader with a younger defense around her. Communication will be key with the defense, but Kiani's experience hopefully shows through."

Alfred University will open the 2025 season at home against Penn College on August 29. The Saxons will begin Empire 8 competition on the road at Keuka College on September 13. The Empire 8 Championship Tournament is slated to start on November 1.

"Our goal is to compete in the Empire 8 Championship Tournament," Yanni said. "We want to develop as a team. We will be young, but strong defensively. We will compete in every outing and have a challenging non-conference schedule to prepare for conference play."