Mercyhurst women’s soccer gears up for first D1 game

One local college is making history with the start of a new season.

Mercyhurst University takes their first step as an NEC Division One athletic program as their fall sports schedule began Thursday night.

The Mercyhurst women’s soccer team will kick off their 2024 season in Pittsburgh, doing the honors of playing their university’s first D1 game.

The Lakers take on Duquesne University at 7 p.m. Head coach Rich Wall said this is a memorable day for everyone and he’s thrilled to be part of this new chapter.

“It’s a huge honor, honestly. There’s a lot of excitement. There’s a lot that’s gone into this over the last four months. It’s been a quick turnaround in terms of the preseason preparation and we’re not just doing it for ourselves. We’re doing it for every woman that’s walked into this women’s soccer program prior and for every student-athlete, you know, that hasn’t been part of the hockey program, this is that first opportunity for division one athletics to be represented by Mercyhurst,” Wall said.

“Yeah, I mean it’s definitely a jump. It takes a lot of hard work but think we all have the mindset to do very well. I love our team. That is actually my favorite thing about this program and we are connected and the culture is great. And so I think having that foundation going into this big step is big,” said Mia Lacenere, a Mercyhurst senior.

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