The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Soccer team returns to action for the 2022 season with high expectations, as the program looks to retooled roster to propel them into the postseason. The Spartans were selected to finish 7th in the annual ECC preseason coaches poll released on Tuesday.
In 2021, STAC finished with an overall record of 4-11 and a 2-7 mark in ECC play under first-year Head Coach Chris Nichol. However, Nichol spent the offseason on the recruiting trail searching for a mix of size, speed and skill to bolster his line-up.
The Spartans return 15 players from the 2021 season, as Alessandra Santoriello, Colleen Stevens, Samantha Cardaci, Kiley Metcalf, Ileana Santiago, Lucille Bluntschli, Corinne Kelly, Rachel Brownell, Colette Martucci, Dharma Kotecha, Amandajame Fuchs-White, Merari Rodriguez, Katarina Ott, Jessica Casanova and Ally Gauzza will make up the core returning to Sparkill this fall.
A good mix of freshmen and upperclassmen in; Allison Bailey (Fairhope, AL), Sarai Rodriguez (Newburgh, NY), Megan Murphy (Cromwell, CT), Natalie Oden (Sveg, Sweden), Elle Chipperfield (Durham, England), Heidi Torre (Huntington, MD), Lilly Lawson (St. Mary's MD), Mia Phlegar (Hilliard, OH), Jasmine Blue (Sterling Heights, MI), Chloe Fletcher (Maidenhead, England), Ashley Argento (Wantagh, NY), Emily Ras (Suffern, NY), Larymar Herrara (Bronx, NY), Madison Powers (Long Island, NY), Kaitlyn Maguire (Wilmington, MA), Arianna Tribble (Ridge, NY) and Hanna Parzinger (Ismaning, Germany) have been brought in to help give STAC the additional talent and depth necessary to make a push for the playoffs.
Head Coach Chris Nichol returns for his second season at the helm of the Spartans. Assistant coaches Adrian Palau and Brielle Heitman also return, while Autumn Becker, Christina Maretzo, Karl O'Neill and Lee Glover come on board for their first seasons with the maroon and gold.
St. Thomas Aquinas College will open its 2022 season on the road on Friday, August 26 at Goldey-Beacom College, with kickoff scheduled for 1pm in Wilmington, Delaware.
2022 ECC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
| School | Pts. | 2021 Record |
| 1. Mercy (4) | 75 | 12-5-4 (8-1-0 ECC) |
| 2. Molloy (4) | 72 | 18-3-0 (8-1-0 ECC) |
| 3. Daemen (1) | 66 | 9-6-1 (7-1-1 ECC) |
| 4. Roberts Wesleyan | 57 | 7-8-1 (6-3-0 ECC) |
| 5. Queens | 39 | 3-8-2 (2-6-1 ECC) |
| 6. D'Youville | 37 | 6-9-2 (2-5-2 ECC) |
| 7. St. Thomas Aquinas | 27 | 4-11-0 (2-7-0 ECC) |
| 8. Staten Island | 23 | 3-14-1 (2-6-1 ECC) |
| 9. Lincoln (Pa.) | 9 | 0-14-0 (0-9-0 ECC) |
( ) - first place votes
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Lexi Verni, Sr., F/M, Molloy
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Sarah Tappeto, Jr., B, Molloy