St. John's University Athletics
Thursday, August 13
Queens, N.Y. (Cox Family Field at Belson Stadium)
7 p.m.
St. John's University
vs
UMass
St. John’s to Face UMass in Season Opener on Thursday Night
8/12/2026 4:50:00 PM | Women's Soccer
The Red Storm will host the Minutewomen to begin the 2026 campaign
QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's women's soccer team will open the 2026 season with a non-conference matchup against UMass on Thursday at Cox Family Field at Belson Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Queens. Fans can tune into the game on ESPN+ with Nick DeLuca and Sam Sinder on the call.
The Johnnies are seeking their fifth season-opening win in the last six seasons. All four of the victories came by multiple goals and were at home. The Red Storm's last home opening win was a 2-0 victory over Colgate on Aug. 18, 2024.
Head Coach Ian Stone returns for his 33rd year at the helm in Queens, where he has led the program since the BIG EAST Championship campaign of 1994. The second-winningest active coach in the BIG EAST owns 285 career victories and is Division I's third-longest tenured head coach.
St. John's returns 24 players from last year's squad, including eight regular starters. Two-time team captain Kayla Bower returns for her fifth season in net for the Johnnies. The Lincoln Park, N.J. native started in all 17 games last season, boasting a 1.48 GAA and a BIG EAST-best 94 saves (5.53 spg).
The Johnnies return three of their top-five point producers from last season, two of whom are sophomores. The Red Storm also welcomes back forward Nora Basile and defender Julianna Bivona, both of whom missed last season due to injury. As a freshman, Basile started 16 of the 17 games she appeared in, scoring two goals and two assists for six points. Bivona transferred to St. John's after a strong freshman season at South Florida, appearing in 13 matches and helping the Bulls' backline to eight clean sheets.
St. John's and UMass will face off for the fifth time in a series that dates back to 2005. The Red Storm holds a 2-1-1 edge all-time against the Minutewomen. The Johnnies were outlasted by UMass, 1-0, in the 2025 season opener. In their last meeting in Queens in the spring of 2021, St. John's came out on top via a strike from the penalty spot by eventual 2023 BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year Jessica Garziano.
The Minutewomen are coming off a 5-8-4 campaign in 2025, finishing ninth in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) standings.
Thursday's contest will mark UMass' second athletic season as a member of the MAC, where they were picked to finish ninth (49 points) in the Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Minutewomen welcome six newcomers for the 2026 season in addition to 22 returners.
UMass brings back four of its five top scorers from last season with Morgan Bellamy and Aline Traber having each tallied five points (two goals, one assist) in 2025. Amelia Bloom was a top 10 shot creator in the MAC with 25 attempts, good for an average of 1.92 per game.
The Minutewomen also return starting keeper Leah Nisenfeld, the MAC's third leader in saves per game (4.35.
Throughout the season, UMass collected two MAC Player of the Week awards in the same outing in Caroline Dickson and Nisenfeld.
Following the season opener, St. John's will travel to Boston College for a contest on Monday, Aug. 17, at 4 p.m. at Newton Campus Lacrosse & Soccer Field.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Queens. Fans can tune into the game on ESPN+ with Nick DeLuca and Sam Sinder on the call.
The Johnnies are seeking their fifth season-opening win in the last six seasons. All four of the victories came by multiple goals and were at home. The Red Storm's last home opening win was a 2-0 victory over Colgate on Aug. 18, 2024.
Head Coach Ian Stone returns for his 33rd year at the helm in Queens, where he has led the program since the BIG EAST Championship campaign of 1994. The second-winningest active coach in the BIG EAST owns 285 career victories and is Division I's third-longest tenured head coach.
St. John's returns 24 players from last year's squad, including eight regular starters. Two-time team captain Kayla Bower returns for her fifth season in net for the Johnnies. The Lincoln Park, N.J. native started in all 17 games last season, boasting a 1.48 GAA and a BIG EAST-best 94 saves (5.53 spg).
The Johnnies return three of their top-five point producers from last season, two of whom are sophomores. The Red Storm also welcomes back forward Nora Basile and defender Julianna Bivona, both of whom missed last season due to injury. As a freshman, Basile started 16 of the 17 games she appeared in, scoring two goals and two assists for six points. Bivona transferred to St. John's after a strong freshman season at South Florida, appearing in 13 matches and helping the Bulls' backline to eight clean sheets.
St. John's and UMass will face off for the fifth time in a series that dates back to 2005. The Red Storm holds a 2-1-1 edge all-time against the Minutewomen. The Johnnies were outlasted by UMass, 1-0, in the 2025 season opener. In their last meeting in Queens in the spring of 2021, St. John's came out on top via a strike from the penalty spot by eventual 2023 BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year Jessica Garziano.
The Minutewomen are coming off a 5-8-4 campaign in 2025, finishing ninth in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) standings.
Thursday's contest will mark UMass' second athletic season as a member of the MAC, where they were picked to finish ninth (49 points) in the Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Minutewomen welcome six newcomers for the 2026 season in addition to 22 returners.
UMass brings back four of its five top scorers from last season with Morgan Bellamy and Aline Traber having each tallied five points (two goals, one assist) in 2025. Amelia Bloom was a top 10 shot creator in the MAC with 25 attempts, good for an average of 1.92 per game.
The Minutewomen also return starting keeper Leah Nisenfeld, the MAC's third leader in saves per game (4.35.
Throughout the season, UMass collected two MAC Player of the Week awards in the same outing in Caroline Dickson and Nisenfeld.
Following the season opener, St. John's will travel to Boston College for a contest on Monday, Aug. 17, at 4 p.m. at Newton Campus Lacrosse & Soccer Field.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's Soccer
Defender
/ Women's Soccer
Goalkeeper
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