Past is in the past: Women’s Soccer looks forward to 2027
By Andrew Nowel, Editor-In-Chief
After a four-year run, the Canisius women’s soccer team fell short of postseason action this season. However, the future remains bright as Head Coach Ryan Louis and his team turn to 2027 and the new stars of the Golden Griffins.
The Griffs wrapped up their season on Wednesday, falling 7–2 to Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Md. Sophomore captain Emilia Nuttall finished the season on a 3–game goal streak as she tallied her third of the season in the loss.
Finishing with a record of 7–9–1 overall and 4–7–1 in Metro Conference play, the Griffs missed the postseason by nine points. As Louis looked back on the season, he noted that the team looked “up and down all season,” making it hard to find consistency.
The start of conference play saw Canisius feature in the 2025 MAAC Championship game rematch against the Sacred Heart Pioneers. They followed that match, one they lost 2–0, with a road game against the regular season winner of 2025, the Fairfield Stags. Starting with the two best teams, according to the conference’s preseason coaches poll, the Griffs began a gauntlet of a schedule that forced them to play from behind all year.
Even with back–to–back game–winning goals from junior Hofstra transfer Ava Pickard, the Griffs were too far gone in the 2026 season. Pickard helped Canisius beat Rider and Iona on back–to–back weekends 1–0.
By the time Canisius reached the final games of the season and a road matchup in Jersey City, N.J., the Griffs were mathematically eliminated from a berth in the Metro Championship. However, these final three games showed promise for a bounce back year in 2027. Nuttall scored all three goals of her season in these games while junior goalkeeper Ally Smith earned her first collegiate shutout against fifth place Manhattan. Canisius’ main goalkeeper, freshman Alexa Turmel, finished the season with a .778 save percentage in 14 games, good for sixth in the conference.
Even though the Blue and Gold will graduate seven seniors in the spring, the young core of the team looks promising. Juniors Meghan Joerger and Azaria Fagan will look to continue to take big steps as seniors in 2027. Joerger scored her second collegiate goal in the 1–0 Manhattan victory last Saturday and brings six points into her senior season, while Fagan led the Griffs in scoring with four goals following a five–goal sophomore season. Fagan will enter the 2027 season with 10 collegiate goals and 23 points.
The freshman class shone for Louis throughout the season, led by Romane Lanni. The Prévost, Québec native found her groove after scoring the first goal of the season for the Griffs in their season opener against LeMoyne. She finished the season with three goals and eight points as she looks to fill a role that will be vacated with the departure of senior Jessica Whitaker.
As the Griffs look forward to 2027, they look to reset and build on their seven–win season. While any transition is tough for a group that graduates the last of the players who have played every season in the postseason, Louis is confident that the young core will take on the challenge. With the final whistle blown on this season, 2027 looms as the countdown begins for kickoff in August.
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