4 questions Syracuse women’s soccer faces entering 2026 campaign
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It’s a new era for Syracuse women’s soccer.
Program-saves leader Shea Vanderbosch and top-3 goal scorers from 2025 — Ashley Rauch, Mia Klammer and Maya McDermott — have departed, while six freshmen, eight transfers and two assistant coaches take their place.
The roster turnover comes after an inconsistent 2025 season. Despite going 4-1-3 in nonconference play, Syracuse finished 1-8-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, with its first ACC victory since 2022 coming over Miami on Oct. 11, 2025.
It was a familiar result for SU head coach Nicky Thrasher-Adams, who enters her eighth year in charge with a 4-55-7 ACC record and zero postseason trips.
Here are four pivotal questions the Orange face entering 2026 as they look to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2012:
Who replaces Shea Vanderbosch?
Syracuse has several questions to answer this season, but none are bigger than at goalie.
Vanderbosch, who graduated in December 2025 to pursue professional opportunities, was SU’s heart and soul for four seasons. The graduated senior finished as Syracuse’s all-time saves leader (380) and led the ACC in total saves and saves per game in the last three campaigns.
Replacing a program icon often takes more than a year, but the Orange have four options to fill the void — Lilly Heaslet, Lindsay Parker, Maggie Manning and Maya Naimoli.
Heaslet is SU’s only returner of the group but doesn’t have much experience. After making zero appearances as a freshman, the North Carolina native saved two shots in her lone appearance last year against Charleston Southern.
SU goalie Shea Vanderbosch winds up for a goal kick in Syracuse’s loss to Florida State last season. With Vanderbosch graduated, the Orange search for a new starting goalkeeper in 2026. Leopold Gensler | Staff Photographer
Parker is the Orange’s only freshman goalkeeper and comes with local appeal. She was a four-year starter at Jamesville-DeWitt High School – 15 minutes from SU – where she saved 350 shots. The freshman tallied 79 saves and five shutouts as a senior and could be a long-term option in net.
Naimoli has the most experience of SU’s four goalies after three years between Ohio State and Youngstown State. The Wayne, Pennsylvania, native redshirted her freshman season at OSU before starting 36 games over the last two at Youngstown State. She led the Horizon League in saves and saves per game in that span and follows goalie coach Michele Barletta from YSU to SU.
Manning also has starting experience but primarily served as Houston’s backup last season. Over two years and 17 games with the Cougars, Manning saved 63 of 89 shots faced.
Which additions step up offensively?
SU’s offense looked like a machine to start 2025. It scored five goals against Charleston Southern, four against Canisius and three against Holy Cross in wins.
But once ACC play began, Syracuse’s attack fell flat.
The Orange scored five goals in 10 conference games and were shut out six times. SU’s five conference scores were tied with Miami for second-to-last in the ACC, just ahead of Boston College.
Of Syracuse’s 22 goals last season, 18 came from departing players. Klammer led the Orange with eight, Rauch notched five, McDermott had two and Vita Naihin, Anna Rupert and Kendyl Lauher scored once.
To replenish the attack, Syracuse added Michigan midfielder Vickie Jones, UConn forward Farrah Stephens-Martin, Washington State forward Emery Streets and Tennessee forward Ali Howard.
Jones had one goal in 45 games with Michigan. Stephens-Martin transferred from Kansas State to UConn, where she scored twice in 16 games in 2025.
Streets played 42 minutes across six games with Washington State last year before an injury ended her season. Howard, the daughter of former United States Men’s National Team goalie Tim Howard, redshirted her freshman season at Tennessee but should have a more significant impact with SU.
SU could also rely on freshmen Sarah Weisberg, Madilyn Wright, Lauren Christy and Océane Blouin for offensive production, especially Christy, who scored twice in Syracuse’s exhibition win over Mercyhurst last week.
Christy, who said it’s her “dream” to play in the ACC and has followed SU for a while, scored 73 goals over four years at Brewster Academy (New Hampshire). The 19-year-old plays similarly to Rauch, easily stretching the field and picking passes.
Which returner takes the biggest leap?
The Orange have a new-look squad, but there are returning players who could take leaps.
Julia Arbelaez is one. The sophomore didn’t start last season and played 613 minutes, the team’s 13th-most, but scored once and added three assists. With impressive passing and scoring abilities, Arbelaez could become a key contributor in 2026.
Syracuse midfielder Julia Arbelaez dribbles upfield in SU’s 2025 loss to Florida State. Arbelaez had four goal contributions as a freshman last year. Leopold Gensler | Staff Photographer
While they received significant playing time as freshmen, sophomore defenders Bree Bridges and Natalie Magnotta could also increase production in Year 2. Bridges displayed defensive toughness and a calm on-ball presence, while Magnotta helped the Orange rack six clean sheets.
Jasmine Nixon returns for her second season with Syracuse after transferring in from Kentucky. Nixon led SU with 1,583 minutes played last season and is a ball-hawking defender who excels in one-on-one situations.
Junior midfielder Anna Croyle could also be bound for a breakout, as she already grew in Year 2. After not scoring on 11 shots in 2024, Croyle recorded a goal last year.
Can SU win three or more ACC games?
Spoiler alert: Probably not.
The last time Syracuse won more than two ACC matchups, Barack Obama was in his second U.S. presidential term, Tom Brady and the Patriots were atop the NFL world and the iPhone 6 had just been released. The year was 2015, and SU finished 3-7 in conference play.
Since then, the Orange have won two ACC games once (2017) and have gone winless in conference play four times.
That said, despite winning only one ACC game last season, SU looked more competent compared to previous years. It tied SMU 1-1, stayed within one goal of then-No. 1 Virginia until late and nearly knocked off Clemson – which went 8-6-5 last season.
SU could continue improving this season, but with a new goalie and many fresh offensive faces, odds aren’t in its favor. A daunting schedule doesn’t help either.
Syracuse faces three United Soccer Coaches Women’s Top 25 Poll teams — No. 1 Stanford, No. 11 Virginia and No. 25 Clemson — and squares off with Louisville, which received votes.
SU’s best chance at a conference win likely comes against Miami and Boston College, which both won just one ACC game last season. The Orange take on BC in their ACC opener on Sept. 13 and Miami on Oct. 29.
