ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Few surprises are expected when the Roberts Wesleyan University women's soccer team takes on East Coast Conference rival Mercy in an NCAA Division II East Region match on Friday afternoon.

The sixth-seeded Redhawks (11-3-4) and third-seeded Mavericks (14-3-2) will be meeting for the second time in seven days and third time this season when they kick off at 3 p.m. on Sodexo Field at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, N.H.  The winner of Friday's match plays No. 2 Franklin Pierce at noon on Sunday.

"We know each other well and I think both teams are probably expecting a tough game," said Roberts coach Bobby McColl, whose Redhawks defeated the Mavericks 1-0 on Sunday to earn their first ECC Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Roberts enters the match on a a six-match winning streak. The Redhawks are unbeaten in their last 10, having outscored opponents 18-5 in that stretch.

"Honestly, I think it comes down to how close the team is," McColl said. "Obviously, we've got a good team, we've got talent, we've got athleticism, we've got a great senior class, but I think what kind of gets us over the line is - and we've told the team this - is they're just so close. They play with a lot of grit, they play with a lot of determination, they play for one another, and I think at this point in the season that kind of gets you over the line."

Senior defender/forward Cami Brescia agrees.

"I think our team chemistry has improved overall from the beginning of the season to now," said Brescia, who leads Roberts with seven assists and netted the overtime winner in a 2-1 victory over Molloy in the ECC semifinals. "We all are working really well together. We're able to move up from defense to forward and possess the ball and finish up the job that we need to do."

The Roberts defense has certainly gotten the job done in the previous two meetings with Mercy. The two teams battled to a 0-0 tie on Oct. 18 and sophomore Mia Tyndell made 10 saves in Sunday's win.

Tyndell has made 81 saves this while posting a 1.03 goals-against average this season. Sophomore Ileana Cheruiyot has marked Mercy's top scorer Ancksu Dixon (13 goals) in the previous matches and defenders Brescia, Olivia Holet and Emma Taylor have been solid all season. Freshman Samantha Catlin has provided some key moments off the bench late in games.

"Everybody's committed to defending, from front to back, because we just know that you've got to defend as a team," McColl said. "But, the back four and the goalkeeper, to me, have been exceptional."

"They have really good forwards, but our communication is really important when we play them," Brescia added. "Pressure cover is super important, too, so we know that if we do get beat, we have cover behind us and everyone has each other's backs."

Junior Jenna Northup has scored a goal and three straight matches and leads the Redhawks with eight goals this season. Northup was named the Most Outstanding Player of the ECC Championship. Sophomore Mackenzie Hagen has seven goals for the Redhawks this season and seniors Kara Choate and Alyssa Hackett have contributed five and four, respectively.

Roberts' depth could also be a factor.

"The nice thing is our starting 11 is strong, but we also have players on the bench that have started throughout the year," McColl said. "At times we've been able to play anywhere from 16-plus players in a game. So, I think that's helped us and it's helped us keep everybody healthy, too, because we're in pretty good shape going into this game."

The Redhawks will be making their third overall NCAA appearance and second in three seasons having earned an at-large berth in 2023.
"It's just really a whole different level going from conference play to the NCAA tournament," Brescia said. "I think if we can just bring the energy and the confidence to do what we can do the best, we'll hopefully come away with a good outcome."