LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The 2026 season marks a new beginning for IUP women's soccer, as the Crimson Hawks enter the season under first-year head coach Kernell Borneo.
Borneo arrives in Indiana after a successful tenure at Fairmont State, where he earned Mountain East Conference Coach of the Year honors. He takes over an IUP program that returns a strong core from last season and enters 2026 with high expectations.
The PSAC coaches picked IUP to finish third in the Western Division in the 2026 preseason poll. Slippery Rock was selected first after receiving five first-place votes, while Gannon received four first-place votes and was picked second.
The Crimson Hawks return nine of their 11 starters from last season but will need to replace one of the top goal scorers in Division II. Elle Smith led IUP with 20 goals and seven assists in 2025 and will leave a significant void in the Crimson Hawks' attack.
IUP will look to junior Emily Lattea to help fill that void. Lattea finished second on the team with 14 goals last season, converting exactly half of her shots on goal into scores.
While IUP will need to replace Smith's offensive production, the Crimson Hawks return a defense that was among the best in the PSAC last season. IUP allowed just 11 goals in 19 games, averaging 0.58 goals against per game. Twelve of the team's 14 victories came via shutouts.
The back line will once again be anchored by 2025 PSAC West Defensive Player of the Year Emma Hays. The senior started all 19 games last season and helped lead a defensive unit that ranked among the top 10 in Division II in goals-against average.
Borneo will also look to bring an aggressive offensive identity to Indiana. During his final season at Fairmont State, his team scored 76 goals in 22 games, ranking first in the Mountain East Conference. Fairmont State scored nearly one goal per game more than the next-highest scoring team in the conference.
The Crimson Hawks will open the 2026 season at home against Lake Erie on Aug. 27 at South Campus Field. IUP will then begin PSAC play on the road against Edinboro before returning home to host Gannon on Sept. 5.
