Kiski Area grad Alyssa Poleski leads charge as Mercyhurst women's soccer moves to Division I

When Rich Wall arrived to take over the Mercyhurst women’s soccer program in December 2022, Kiski Area grad Alyssa Poleski wasted no time in making an impression.

Wall remembers it vividly. In his first January 2023 training session with the players, he put them through a fitness test, and rising senior Poleski, he said, “just crushed it.”

The next day, Wall watched the players on the field as they went through game-type situations. That was when he decided to approach Poleski about using her fifth year of eligibility in 2024.

“She stood out,” said Wall, who was the associate head coach at Coastal Carolina before coming to Mercyhurst. “She was one of the very first players, to me, as, she’s somebody you want on your team.”

Poleski said she didn’t need to give the decision much thought.

“I was super excited whenever he offered it to me,” she said. “There was really no question. I was sure I was going to take it.”

Little did she know that her experience and talent would serve an even greater purpose. Her commitment to a fifth year came more than a year before Mercyhurst officials’ April announcement that the athletic programs would transition from Division II to Division I beginning this fall.

The Lakers will compete in the Northeast Conference along with Central Connecticut State, Chicago State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Le Moyne, Long Island, Stonehill, Wagner and in-state foes Robert Morris and St. Francis. The women’s soccer nonconference schedule features matches at Duquesne, Pitt, Marquette and Syracuse.

Its first Northeast Conference match will be Sept. 19 at home against LIU. And when the Lakers host Wagner on Oct. 13, Poleski will square off against former high school teammate Faith Andree, a junior defender for the Seahawks.

“I had no idea we were going D-I,” Poleski said. “But I am extremely excited to be able to experience playing at a Division I level.”

Said Wall: “We’re entering new territory for sure. I think we’re excited. I don’t think we have everything figured out at all. ... We’re not going to be bystanders at this level. It might take us some time to find our identity at this next level, but we’re coming to compete.”

One aspect of the new era that won’t take any time for Wall to figure out is where Poleski fits. All of her starts last season came at right back, and Wall said she will be welded into that spot.

Opposite her, at left back, will be sophomore Anamari Bosnjak, a native of Croatia who started 15 matches last season.

In 2023, they combined with center back Maycen Anthony, an Apollo-Ridge grad who converted from forward, and keeper Maddie Elbro to form one of the top defenses in the PSAC. The Lakers allowed just 13 goals last season, second in the conference behind Kutztown (12).

Anthony and Elbro have graduated, and Wall said defense is where his team probably will have to make the most adjustments when facing Division I competition.

“The speed of play is going to be faster. The playing ability is going to be better,” he said. “We’re going to be facing challenges every 72 to 96 hours throughout the fall that, frankly, we weren’t getting at the Division II level.

“It’s not that you treat anybody with different respect levels or anything like that … but there’s a difference in getting ready for a Pittsburgh and a Dayton. … We’re going to see things from a talent standpoint that we just haven’t had to face yet.”

Poleski will serve as one of the Lakers’ captains, a responsibility she said she doesn’t take lightly. Her leadership will be vital as Mercyhurst faces more difficult opponents.

From an X’s and O’s standpoint, she said she believes she has an intimate understanding of her teammates, where they will be on the pitch at all times and how and where they like to receive a pass.

And though she has yet to score a goal and has just two assists in her career, she said she won’t hesitate to join the attack if the opportunity presents itself.

Her most important job, she said, will be bringing the freshmen along quickly. Facing Division I competition might require an all-hands-on-deck approach, so making the newbies feel comfortable, Poleski said, is paramount.

“I know when I first arrived as a freshman, I was very timid, and I kind of felt like it was the seniors’ team, the upperclassmen’s team,” she said. “I want the freshmen to understand that they are a part of the team as much as anyone else, and I don’t want them to be timid or hold themselves back.”

Poleski said the returning players will use last season’s ending as fuel for 2024. The Lakers lost only four matches in 2023, but the final two came consecutively and at the worst possible time: in the PSAC semifinals against West Chester (2-1) and in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Gannon (1-0).

The Lakers will need that extra jolt. Poleski said it will be important for everyone to be in their best shape to face the rigors of a Division I schedule. She said the effort, not the wins and losses, will determine if the Lakers have had a successful season.

“D-I is a whole different beast than D-II,” she said. “I think it’s important to encourage everyone and remind them that we do belong at a Division I level, and we can compete. I don’t want anyone to feel discouraged or feel like we’re new into this, and we’re going to lose.

“Obviously, wins would be great, but they don’t measure a successful season. I think as long as we transition well and everyone is happy with the changes, that will make a successful season.”

Wall, meanwhile, is confident Poleski will be a big part of the Lakers’ efforts.

“She’s a little bit more old fashioned and an old-school defender,” he said. “She’s not afraid to defend. She’s OK with being physical, gritty and tough, and she can handle it.

“She’s definitely going to grow into her role as a leader. … I think she’s the type of player that, prior to being a captain, when she spoke, people listened. Because of that and her blue-collar work rate and her mental toughness, I think now by getting a captain’s armband this upcoming year, the floor is hers.”