The Lancaster Bible College women's soccer team experienced the highs and lows a season can bring with it, in every aspect of the phrase last season. The Chargers went 12-1 in NEAC play, advanced to the NEAC Final for the first time since 2012, and then had their championship hopes dashed when top-seeded Penn St. Berks scored with 32 seconds remaining in double overtime. Lancaster Bible earned an NCCAA Division I Mideast Region playoff victory two weeks later, before seeing its season end in the region semifinals against Indiana Wesleyan. 

After a successful 2016 season in which the Chargers went 16-7, the offseason brought changes to the program, as former Head Coach Leah Sipe-McDermott stepped down to take the same job at Lebanon Valley College, and the Chargers hired Ally Brown ('14) to be the Interim Head Coach for the 2017 season. Brown, a former standout student-athlete at Lancaster Bible, played for the Chargers from 2010-12 and was named NEAC Player of the Year in 2011. Brown was a member of the two teams that appeared in the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2011 and 2012 and recently completed her Master's Degree from Cairn University where she was the assistant coach for the past two years.

Back for More
-Lancaster Bible returns 12 players from last season's team, including seniors Raegan Horst and Rachel Kumher...Horst led the Chargers in almost every offensive category last year, including goals (12), assists (10), points (34) and game-winning goals (6)...Kumher, always steady in the midfield, collected five goals and three assists in 2016...The two seniors, along with Michaela Ragsdale are this season's captains
-Also returning for the Chargers are Danni DeVinney (six goals as a freshman last year), Maggie Arnold (two goals, two assists last year), Maddie Dionne (five assists last year and second on team with 1,865 minutes played), Joy Trumbull (speedy forward with a goal and three assists last year), Kiersten Hatch (strong defender, who had two goals last year), Caroline Majeski (a goal and an assist last year as she battled injuries), Kate Spiezio (played all 23 games and was key contributor in midfield), Katie Witwer (will provide needed depth for Chargers once again), Michaela Ragsdale (started all 23 games last year, played most minutes on team at 1,916) and finally goalkeeper Rheeana Miles who was the back-up last season, but will now be the starting goalkeeper for the Chargers.

Come Aboard
-The Chargers welcome nine players into the mix this season, including Kendra Brown, Maggie Nargi, Kristina Reuter, Madison Miller, Camryn Horst (Raegan's sister), Karissa Akselsen, Sam Koons, Jane Dietrich and Sarah Kumher (Rachel's sister).
-Akselsen's brother Kenny is on the Lancaster Bible men's soccer team...Nargi's brother, Matt, played for the Chargers during the 2013 season.

Leader of the Pack
-Brown's hiring was announced August 3 and she used all of August prior to the preseason getting to know the ladies as much as possible and when preseason arrived, the two parties got to know each other even better...Brown is excited about the 2017 Chargers and believes the potential for another run at a NEAC title is there.

Season Notes
-Lancaster Bible was picked second in the 2017 NEAC Preseason Poll behind defending champion Penn St. Berks
-R. Horst finished 20th in NCAA Division III last season with her six game-winning goals
-Brown joins TJ Horn as the other Lancaster Bible alum who is a head coach for the Chargers
-Lancaster Bible's Homecoming contest against St. Elizabeth on Sept. 30 will be the 150th home game in program history...The Chargers enter the 2017 season with 91 wins at Charger Field since the 2002 season
-The Chargers play 10 home games this season, six of which will be in September...Like the men's soccer team, the Chargers will play just one regular season game in the state of New York when they face Wells on Oct. 7...Due to the new NEAC schedule, Lancaster Bible will not play three NEAC North Division schools during the regular season (Keuka, SUNY Poly and SUNY Cobleskill)
-Lancaster Bible has won double-digit games in seven straight seasons and eight of the last nine

Watch the Season Preview Interview with Head Coach Ally Brown