MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s soccer team pushed Penn State Harrisburg to the limit in the United East Conference championship on November 8, 2025, before falling 2-0 in penalty kicks following a 2-2 double-overtime draw at the Turf Complex. The second-seeded Seahawks, who entered with a perfect 8-0 conference mark, concluded their season at 13-6-3 after the loss to the top-seeded Lions, who improved to 14-5-4 and earned the league’s automatic NCAA Division III tournament bid.
Ava Myers scored both goals for Penn State Harrisburg, striking in the 11th minute on an assist from Olivia Sgrignioli and adding another four minutes into the second half to briefly reclaim a 2-1 lead. St. Mary’s equalized twice in rapid fashion: Erin Clark converted a penalty kick in the 43rd minute to tie the score at 1-1 before halftime, and Brooke Hall slotted home a cross from Ashlyn Bonner in the 56th minute to level it again at 2-2. From there, defenses dominated, with the teams combining for just three shots in the two 10-minute overtime periods.
St. Mary’s goalkeeper Kyleigh Bland anchored the back line with nine saves on 18 shots faced, including several in the extra time to force the shootout. The Seahawks generated five shots overall, all on goal, but managed only one corner kick against Penn State Harrisburg’s five. Bland’s performance marked her 11th shutout of the season in 22 appearances, a figure that underscored the team’s defensive resilience throughout a campaign where they allowed just 12 goals in 22 matches. Penn State Harrisburg goalkeeper Kendall Martin stopped all four St. Mary’s attempts in the shootout while her teammates converted two of four.
This matchup marked the third consecutive conference final between the programs and the second straight decided by penalties. Last year, Penn State Harrisburg prevailed 4-3 on kicks after a scoreless draw, denying St. Mary’s its first title since joining the United East in 2023. The Lions now hold a 3-5-2 all-time edge against the Seahawks, with St. Mary’s unbeaten in the last five regular-season meetings before these postseason clashes. The 2025 final capped a tournament that saw the Seahawks advance past Notre Dame of Maryland 3-1 in the quarterfinals on November 1 and Penn College 2-0 in the semifinals on November 4.
In the semifinal at Jamie L. Roberts Stadium, St. Mary’s struck early when Keira O’Neail finished a through ball from Maddison Spradlin in the ninth minute, beating goalkeeper Madison Wetzel low to the corner. Felicia Fishburne added insurance in the 35th minute with a 15-yard volley, again assisted by Spradlin, who dictated play from central midfield. The Seahawks outshot Penn College 16-8 and held a 5-2 advantage in corners, limiting the visitors to two saves for Bland in a match that tested the team’s depth amid season-long injuries to reserves. Ella Raines led St. Mary’s with three shots, two on target, as the victory extended an eight-game winning streak entering the final.
The championship appearance highlighted a breakthrough season under head coach Peter Krech, who reached his 100th career win on October 21 with a 1-0 road victory at Penn State Abington. Spradlin’s 53rd-minute goal in that contest, assisted by Tourangeau and Raines, sealed the program’s first perfect United East record, outscoring conference foes 38-2 across eight matches and posting five shutouts. Krech, a 2009 St. Mary’s alumnus in his 12th season, improved to 100-83-28 overall, building on a foundation that includes three semifinal berths in his first five years. The program, established in 1993 at the NCAA Division III level, has notched 10 winning seasons in the past 15 years under four coaches, with recent stability fostering regional contention.
St. Mary’s opened 2025 with a 3-1 win over Neumann on August 29 at home, followed by a 0-0 draw against then-20th-ranked The College of New Jersey. Nonconference tests included a 1-0 victory at Hood on September 3, a scoreless tie with William Smith on September 6 and a 2-0 home win over Lancaster Bible on October 11. The Seahawks hosted Senior Day on October 18, routing Cairn 4-0, before clipping Penn State Berks 2-1 on October 15 and blanking Notre Dame of Maryland 7-1 on October 7. A 1-0 loss to Salisbury on October 28 and a 4-0 defeat at Mary Washington on October 25 provided late hurdles, but the team rebounded with a 1-0 shutout of Abington to clinch the top seed.
Roster standouts included Bland, a Sophomore from Arnold, MD, who earned United East Defensive Player of the Week honors on September 8 after four saves in back-to-back shutouts. Junior Allie Petryszak and Senior Ashlyn Bonner swept offensive weekly awards on September 1 following a three-goal outing against Stevenson. The 26-player squad drew heavily from the mid-Atlantic, with 18 Maryland natives including Clark from Ellicott City, Hall from Warrington, PA and Bonner from Ellicott City.
As the season ends, St. Mary’s awaits the NCAA selection show on November 10 at 1 p.m. on NCAA.com, where an at-large bid remains possible given the program’s regional ranking and runner-up finish. Last year, both finalists advanced, with the Seahawks falling 1-0 to Vassar in the first round. The 64-team Division III field begins play on November 14, with the championship set for December 7 in San Antonio. United East rules require the automatic qualifier to host early rounds if seeded appropriately, positioning Penn State Harrisburg for a potential home opener.
St. Mary’s 2025 run, marked by 11 shutouts and a .591 winning percentage, positions the program for continued growth in a conference that merged in 2023 to include eight women’s soccer teams. The Seahawks’ emphasis on possession and transitions, honed through 18 regular-season matches, prepared them for high-stakes moments like the final’s back-and-forth exchanges. With 12 underclassmen on the roster, Krech’s squad returns key pieces for 2026, aiming to extend a streak of four straight winning seasons and challenge for the hardware that has eluded them in recent title tilts.
