ACIT Girls Soccer

2026 PRESEASON PREVIEW

THE LADY RED HAWKS ARE HERE TO STAY

Last season proved something to the rest of South Jersey.

It wasn't luck.

It wasn't a one-year story.

The ACIT Lady Red Hawks are here to stay.

What was once considered an up-and-coming program has become one that opponents circle on their schedule. The expectations have changed. The confidence has changed. Most importantly, the standard has changed.

This isn't a team hoping to compete.

This is a team expecting to compete.

Led by Head Coach Drew "Yellow Card" Welsh and assistant coaches Jim Henry, Samantha Williscroft and former ACIT star Genesis Alvarez, the Lady Red Hawks enter the 2026 season with something every successful program hopes to build:

Continuity.

The heart of this team is a remarkable junior class entering its third season as varsity starters. They've grown up together, battled together, and spent the entire offseason training, competing, and building chemistry. They know each other's strengths. They trust one another. They play for one another.

Leading the attack is Luisa Lancaster, one of the Cape-Atlantic League's premier offensive players. After earning First Team All-CAL United Division honors and being recognized as a CAL Player of the Year candidate, Lancaster returns after a breakout season that established her as one of South Jersey's most dangerous scoring threats.

Joining her in the attack is Emmie Knaak, another First Team All-CAL United Division selection whose speed, finishing ability, and relentless work rate make her a constant threat in the final third.

In the midfield, Natalie Sanders, also a First Team All-CAL United Division performer, provides leadership, creativity, and versatility. Alongside rising sophomore Sierra Fischer, who earned CAL United Division Honorable Mention after emerging as one of the conference's top young playmakers, ACIT possesses a midfield capable of controlling the tempo against anyone they face.

Behind them stands a defense that has the potential to become one of the best in the Cape-Atlantic League.

Lilli Prohammer. Raquel Mitchell. Emily Merlock. Elanie Mitre.

Four defenders.

One mission.

Protect the net.

Together, they form an experienced, physical, and disciplined back line that has played countless minutes together. Their communication, chemistry, and willingness to do the hard work rarely found in a highlight reel give ACIT a defensive identity every championship-caliber team needs.

Anchoring it all is Allie Sanders, a First Team All-CAL United Division goalkeeper, whose composure and shot-stopping ability provide confidence to everyone in front of her.

The Red Hawks also return valuable contributors throughout the lineup, including Olivia Peddicord, Samantha Vargas, and Makenzie Quigley—young players who gained meaningful varsity experience as freshman and now return as sophmores more confident, more skilled, and ready to make an even greater impact.

But talent alone doesn't define this team.

This group is hungry.

Hungry to prove last season was only the beginning.

Hungry to continue climbing the Cape-Atlantic League standings.

Hungry to establish ACIT as one of the premier programs in South Jersey.

The foundation has been built.

The culture has been established.

The expectations have been raised.

Now comes the next challenge.

Can the Lady Red Hawks continue their rise to the top of the Cape-Atlantic League?

Can one of South Jersey's youngest and most exciting teams make another postseason run?

Can they go even deeper into the South Jersey Group 5 State Tournament after breaking through last season?

Those answers will come over the next few months.

One thing, however, is no longer in question.

The ACIT Lady Red Hawks have arrived.

And they're not going anywhere.

The Lady Red Hawks are here to stay.

🔴⚫ Go Red Hawks! ⚫🔴

⚽❤️🖤 The Season Never Really Ends for the Lady Red Hawks! ❤️🖤⚽

While the high school season may have ended in November, many of our ACIT Lady Red Hawks have continued putting in the work, training, competing, and developing their game year-round.

Pictured here are Lily Prohammer, Natalie Sanders, Allie Sanders, Raquel Mitchell, and Elanie Mitre, who continue to represent ACIT while playing for Atlantic United Girls High School Select.

This week, these talented young athletes, along with other local players from Atlantic United Premier Soccer Club and youth from the Atlantic City Boys & Girls Club, had an incredible opportunity to watch and learn from one of the world's elite soccer programs.

They were invited to Stockton University to watch the Haiti National Team train as they prepare for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Following practice, the players had the opportunity to spend time on the field and experience firsthand the level of dedication, skill, and commitment required to compete on the international stage.

We are proud of these young women for continuing to pursue excellence long after the final whistle of the high school season. Experiences like these inspire the next generation of players and remind us that hard work, commitment, and passion for the game create opportunities.

The future of Lady Red Hawks Soccer is bright! 🔥⚽

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