The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) playoffs get underway this week on Thursday, Oct. 31, with six teams battling for a spot in the NCAA tournament. Regular season co-champions Stony Brook University and Monmouth University will host opening-round games, marking the first time Stony Brook has won a regular season title since joining the CAA three years ago.
The field features three new teams from last year’s tournament. Elon University, Delaware University, and the College of Charleston are all in the postseason in place of Northeastern University, the College of William & Mary and Towson University, last season’s champions. In 2022, with eight teams in the tournament, the Hofstra University women’s soccer team was the eighth seed in the tournament and went on to win the whole tournament.
Hofstra (7-4-6, 5-3-2)
This year, Hofstra enters the tournament as the fourth seed. The Pride clinched a spot with three games to spare following their comprehensive 2-0 win over Hampton University. Hofstra head coach Simon Riddiough is in his 19th season and has led the Pride to the national tournament on seven occasions. Hofstra has dominated the conference tournament in recent years, winning five of the last seven.
This season, the Pride have been led by a balance of strong attack and defense. Ellie Gough, Mathilde Braithwaite and Millie Davies all lead Hofstra with five goals apiece. Upperclassmen defenders Gabriella Marte and Louise Hayden have formed a dynamic defensive duo that has helped the Pride concede just 18 goals on the season. Furthermore, Hofstra ranks fifth in the CAA in goals scored with 26. The Pride were picked second in the preseason poll and will look to prove why with a strong postseason run.
Hofstra finished 1-3-1 against the field this season. Their only win was against Charleston to open conference play. The Pride will play in the first round of the tournament against Delaware.
Delaware (6-6-6, 4-2-4)
Delaware is the fifth seed in the tournament. The Fightin’ Blue Hens finished conference play at 4-2-4 including a 2-1 victory over Hofstra. Delaware has never won the CAA since joining the conference in 2002. Head coach Kelly Lawrence is in her second season with the Fightin’ Blue Hens, making her first postseason appearance with Delaware. The Fightin’ Blue Hens clinched a spot in the tournament on the last day of the season after drawing with Northeastern.
This season, they rank fifth in goals conceded and tied for ninth in goals scored. Caitlin St. Leger, Maggie Groh and Brooke Vogel lead Delaware with three goals each. Additionally, goalkeeper Kyla Burns had a 0.97 goals against average (GAA) and notched 72 saves in the regular season. A strong defense will be key for the Fightin’ Blue Hens as they look to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time.
Monmouth (11-2-5, 7-3-2)
The winner of Delaware and Hofstra will go on to face Monmouth. The Hawks secured part of the regular season championship following their 2-0 win against Hampton on the final matchday. Monmouth head coach Kylee Flynn is in her third season in West Long Branch, New Jersey. She has either won the regular season title or made the conference tournament final in each of her first three years at the helm. Monmouth made it to last year’s championship game at Hofstra’s expense before being knocked off by Towson. They will look to avenge their disappointment last season as they enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed.
The Hawks finished conference play at 7-1-2. They are 3-0-1 against the field, including wins against Hofstra and Delaware. Monmouth boasts the best defense in the CAA, conceding only 13 goals in 18 matches, behind goalkeeper Cassie Coster who kept nine clean sheets. Additionally, Summer Reimet is the conference’s leading scorer with 11 goals. The junior forward also has five assists this season. Ashley Lavrich and Liza Suydam are also standouts for the Hawks, registering a combined 13 goals and nine assists this season.
The Hawks will look to finally cash in on a successful season by punching their ticket to the national tournament.
On the other side of the bracket lie Elon, Charleston and Stony Brook.
Elon (12-3-1, 7-3)
Elon has been the story of the season, entering the tournament as the third seeded team. The Phoenix were picked to finish 11th in the CAA this season but led the conference until the final matchday. In the 2020 season, Elon head coach Neil Payne led the Phoenix to their first CAA championship and second-ever national tournament appearance. The Phoenix would go on to lose 1-0 to Milwaukee University in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Elon’s surprise season has been in large part due to their defense which has conceded just 14 goals, ranking second in the CAA. Defender Rachel Buckle and Jessica Hill lead the backline, both players posting over 1300 minutes this season. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Katie Bisgrove has posted a 0.84 GAA. On the attack, Lydia Totten and Isa Murdock lead the Phoenix with five goals each.
The Phoenix will face Charleston in the first round of the tournament.
Charleston (11-3-5, 4-2-4)
Despite a strong non-conference record, the Cougars struggled to get consistent results at the beginning of the CAA season. Charleston is coming into the tourney on a hot streak, going unbeaten in their last eight games and outscoring their opponents 13-4 in that stretch. Charleston head coach Chris Michner is in his 14th season with the Cougars and leads his team back to the postseason for the first time since 2018. Charleston has won just one game in the CAA tournament since joining the conference in 2013.
Despite being the sixth and final seed, Charleston is well positioned to make some magic happen. Not only are they on a hot streak, but they rank second in the conference in both goals scored and GAA, with 41 goals scored and just 0.79 goals allowed per match.
Faith Slimmer is the standout for Charleston. The redshirt junior leads the Cougars with 17 goals and assists during the campaign. Furthermore, senior defender Shae Yocum posted a team-high 1562 minutes this year helping the team to 12 shutouts.
The Cougars defeated Elon 3-0 earlier this month. No team comes into the tournament in better form than Charleston, leaving them poised for a big run.
Stony Brook (12-3-3, 7-1-2)
The winner of the game between Charleston and Elon will have a date with the No. 2 seed, Stony Brook. The Seawolves shared a part of the regular season title with Monmouth for their first-ever CAA regular season crown. Stony Brook is in their third season in the CAA, after making the switch from the American East conference. Stony Brook head coach Tobias Bischof has led his team to the postseason in each of their first three seasons in the conference. However, the Seawolves have struggled in the postseason, with this year’s first-round bye being the furthest his team has reached.
The Seawolves are 2-1-2 against the field this season but boast wins over Charleston and Delaware. Stony Brook leads the CAA in goals scored with 43. Additionally, they lead the conference in shots, points and assists.
Luciana Setteducate and Linn Beck pace the Seawolves, combining for 18 goals this campaign. Twelve players have scored this year for Stony Brook and 16 players have recorded at least one point. Also, Setteducate and Aneta Sováková rank second with seven assists this season.
No team has more firepower than the Seawolves. With home-field advantage through the tournament, Stony Brook has everything on their side to win the CAA for the first time in their history.
Overall, the high-stakes, single-elimination format raises the pressure on all six teams, each aiming to keep their championship dreams alive and punch a ticket to the NCAA tournament. The CAA tournament promises thrilling matchups and fierce competition as each team vies for history.
Photo courtesy of Ethan Albin
