By Zach Flesch / The Jambar
After games against Purdue University Fort Wayne and Indiana University Indianapolis, the Youngstown State University women’s soccer team improved to 4-1-2 in Horizon League play.
At Purdue Fort Wayne on Oct. 9, freshman Kamryn Rosa scored just 54 seconds into the game. She headed a cross from sophomore Teagan Wahle for Rosa’s fifth goal of the season — the most by a YSU freshman since 2019.
Sophomore Maya Naimoli recorded her second shutout of the season, 1-nil. She recorded one save as Youngstown State outshot the Mastodons, 14-5. Senior midfielder Chloe Weiland led the team with three shots.
In the match against IU Indy on Oct. 12, Naimoli starred again in a 2-nil win with nine saves and earned her second-consecutive shutout. She became just the fourth goalkeeper in program history to reach 10 career victories.
Sophomore Sara Felder scored in the ninth minute off a feed from Weiland, while freshman Baylee Williams recorded a goal in the 73rd minute off a corner kick from redshirt junior Marissa Masano.
The Penguins improved to 5-8-2 overall, extending their unbeaten streak to five straight matches.
With only a few matches left for the 2025 campaign, the race for a spot in the 2025 Horizon League Women’s Soccer Championship is in full swing. In the tournament, only the top six teams make the cut, with two matches on Nov. 2.
If the season ended today, the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee would claim the No. 1 seed and host the second round of the tournament Nov. 6. Youngstown State would earn the No. 2 seed, receive a bye and travel to Wisconsin, Milwaukee, to play the highest remaining seed from Quarterfinals.
Northern Kentucky University and Wright State University would receive the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, respectively. Both teams would host playoff matches at respective campus sites. For the Quarterfinals, the matchups would be No. 3 Northern Kentucky against No. 6 IU Indy, and No. 4 Wright State going up against No. 5 Robert Morris University.
The Penguins return home to Farmers National Bank Field on Oct. 16 to host Oakland University. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.