The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s soccer team picked up a 2-1 road win over Penn State Berks on October 15, 2025, at Berks Turf Field to keep its United East conference record spotless.
Allie Petryszak and Ashlyn Bonner each scored once in the first half to build a two-goal cushion for the Seahawks. Petryszak converted a pass from Bonner in the 18th minute for her third goal this season. Bonner added the second tally in the 42nd minute off a feed from Sidney Shaw, sending St. Mary’s into halftime up 2-0.
Penn State Berks narrowed the gap in the 79th minute when Ashley Jocham found the net, assisted by Devon Deery. The Seahawks’ defense stepped up in the closing minutes, allowing just four shots on goal from the Nittany Lions. Goalkeeper Kyleigh Bland turned aside three shots to earn her ninth win of the year.
Both sides finished with 12 shots total. St. Mary’s held the advantage in corners, 6-3, while Penn State Berks committed six fouls to the Seahawks’ nine. Offsides went 0-1 against St. Mary’s.
The victory lifted St. Mary’s to 9-4-2 overall and a perfect 6-0-0 mark in United East play, good for sole possession of first place in the conference standings.
This result marked the sixth straight conference win for the Seahawks, who have outscored United East opponents 22-2 across those matches. Earlier in the season, St. Mary’s opened league play with a 7-1 rout of Notre Dame (Md.) on October 7, where Megan Rusk netted a pair of goals. The team followed with a 2-0 blanking of Lancaster Bible on October 11, thanks to strikes from Stella Raines and Brooke Hall.
St. Mary’s has leaned on a balanced attack and stout back line throughout 2025. The squad ranks among the top teams in Division III for defensive efficiency, building on a 2024 campaign that saw 17 wins, two losses and four ties, including a run to the NCAA Tournament via an at-large bid. That postseason appearance capped a year where the Seahawks posted a 7-0-1 conference record.
Petryszak, a junior defender from Baltimore, handled the setup duties on her goal while anchoring the defense. A 2023 Mercy High School graduate, she earned first-team All-United East honors last season after scoring four goals, three of which were game-winners. Petryszak started all 20 games in 2024, contributing to 15 shutouts and taking 21 shots. She also picked up third-team All-United Soccer Coaches Region IV and CSC Academic All-District recognition. Off the field, the business major with a sociology minor serves as a team captain and plans a career in law.
Bonner, a senior from Ellicott City, scored the insurance goal and provided the assist on Petryszak’s strike. The 5-foot-9 defender, who majors in English and psychology, earned United East Defensive Player of the Week honors on September 1 this season. A four-year starter at Wilde Lake High School, Bonner tallied two goals and four assists in 2024 while starting 17 games. She was a second-team All-United East selection that year and has been a team captain since her sophomore season. Bonner holds single-game records for assists at her high school and was part of Maryland 3A regional championship teams in 2019.
Sidney Shaw’s assist on Bonner’s goal gave her a team-leading tally in that category for the season. The sophomore midfielder has emerged as a key playmaker, setting up multiple scores in recent outings.
The win sets up a home matchup for St. Mary’s against Cairn University on October 18 at 5:30 p.m. at Jamie L. Roberts Stadium. The game doubles as Senior Day, where the program will honor its graduating players, including Bonner, in a pre-match ceremony. Roberts Stadium, located on the St. Mary’s City campus overlooking the St. Mary’s River, serves as a hub for local soccer fans in Southern Maryland. The venue has hosted conference tournaments and community clinics, drawing families from St. Mary’s, Charles and Calvert counties.
This stretch of play highlights the depth in St. Mary’s roster, with contributors like Gracie Tourangeau adding two shots in the Berks game. Tourangeau, a freshman forward, has shown promise in building attacks from the wings. Bland’s performance in net continues a trend; the junior keeper leads the conference with nine wins and ranks high in save percentage.
With six conference games left, including home dates against Marymount and Penn State Harrisburg, St. Mary’s holds a two-match lead over the field. The path to another title run remains clear, grounded in the fundamentals that have defined this group’s 2025 campaign.
As the regular season winds down, St. Mary’s eyes a strong finish to secure a top seed in the United East Tournament. The conference postseason begins later in October, with the champion earning an automatic NCAA bid. For now, the Seahawks focus on Cairn, a team they blanked 4-0 earlier this year.
