Youngstown -- Youngstown State Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Ron Strollo announced on Wednesday that women's soccer Head Coach Will Lemke is pursuing other professional opportunities and a national search for a new head coach will begin immediately.
During Lemke's seven-year tenure, nine players earned All-Horizon League honors while six garnered All-Newcomer or All-Freshman Team laurels. He also guided the Penguins to a fourth-place finish in the Horizon League in 2012 and an unbeaten home record at Farmers National Bank Field of 6-0-2 in 2014.
"We want to thank Coach Lemke for his seven years of dedicated service to our women's soccer program, our university and our community," Strollo said. "During his tenure, our women's soccer program made significant strides in the very competitive college soccer landscape. We wish him the best of luck in his professional pursuits."
The Penguins have won 11 home matches over the last two seasons and will return 19 letterwinners and nine starters for the 2016 campaign.
Those returners include 2015 All-Horizon League selection sophomore Kyler Lum, sophomore Katie Hackos, who had two goals and three assists, 2014 All-Horizon League Second-Team pick junior Kathy Baquero, sophomore Marissa Martin, and freshmen Alison Green and Madison Hughes. Martin and Hughes were each named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and Green scored two goals with an assist in 2015.
Since 2011, Youngstown State has had eight All-Horizon League selections and five All-Newcomer or All-Freshman Team picks.
The Youngstown State women's soccer program finished the 2014-15 academic year with a team grade-point average of 3.41.
The Penguins have had three Academic All-District selections and five Academic All-Horizon League picks since 2009.
Farmers National Bank Field has been the home of the Youngstown State women's soccer program since 2013. Since that time, the Penguins have won 13 home matches. It also has a seating capacity of more than 500 and has the capabilities for providing live statistics and broadcasting matches on ESPN3.
