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Women’s Soccer Opens 2026 Season against Hofstra 8/19/2026 4:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer The Lions open up on the road Thursday before returning home on Sunday to host St. John's HOW TO FOLLOW All Columbia home games and all Ivy League contests will be streamed via ESPN+. Thursday's game against Hofstra will be streamed via Flosports HERE. You can find Sunday's game on ESPN+ HERE. Live stats for Thursday's contest against Hofstra can be found HERE. Live stats for Sunday's game will be available via gocolumbialions.com, HERE. Follow @CULionsWSOC on X and Instagram for live updates and results during every match. LAST SEASON The Lions are coming off a 6-7-3 finish in 2025, including a 4-2-1 mark in Ivy League play. After opening the season with four consecutive losses, Columbia responded by going unbeaten throughout the month of September and ultimately finished third in the Ivy League standings to earn a spot in the conference tournament for the third consecutive season. Columbia secured its postseason berth in dramatic fashion, defeating Harvard, 2-1, on Senior Day in the regular-season finale to clinch the No. 3 seed in the Ivy League Tournament. The Lions' season came to an end in the semifinals with a narrow 1-0 loss to second-seeded Dartmouth. Resilience defined the Lions throughout the 2025 campaign, as Columbia scored an equalizer or game-winning goal in the final 10 minutes of regulation on four separate occasions. The Lions consistently found ways to deliver late in matches, helping fuel their turnaround after the difficult start and another trip to the Ivy League Tournament. Statistically, Columbia held an advantage over its opponents in shots (158-142) and corner kicks (63-57), while finishing the season with 18 goals and 18 assists. Columbia was picked to finish fourth in the 2026 Ivy League Preseason Poll, projected to finish behind Princeton, Dartmouth and Brown. Their new trio of captains (Maia Beltran, Dema Elder, and Samantha Weiss), will work alongside a group of 20 returners to beat that prediction. The group of returners includes goalkeeper Samantha Mahoney, fellow Ivy Award winners Evelyn Javers and Annie Faraone, and a talented sophomore class. Seven newcomers joined the Lions over the summer, ready to make an impact on and off the field in 2026. The group consists of two forwards, two midfielders, and three defenders from five different states. "We are thrilled to welcome this highly-rated incoming class to Columbia Women's Soccer," Head Coach Tracey Bartholomew said. "This group of Lions brings an exceptional blend of talent, character, and competitive spirit that will make an immediate impact both on and off the field. They are energetic, eager, and fully embrace our NYC style of play and championship culture. Each student-athlete brings something unique to our program, adding quality, depth, and tremendous potential across every position. We are excited to see this class help lead our pride as we continue striving for excellence and competing for Ivy League championships." For more information on the entire class of 2030 and what the group will be bringing to the field, click HERE. SCOUTING HOFSTRA The Pride enter Thursday's contest with a game already under their belt. Hofstra opened the season with a 3-1 loss to Saint Joseph's this past Saturday. Last season, the Pride finished 6-5-7 overall and advanced to the CAA semifinals where they lost to Stony Brook. In the 2026 CAA Preseason Poll, Hofstra was projected to finish third in the North Division behind Stony Brook and Monmouth, with defender Sasha McTiffin earning Preseason All-CAA Honorable Mention honors. Amy Meadows owns the sole goal for Hofstra this season, while Emma Johnson has an assist. ROSTER - SCHEDULE - STATS St. John's enters Sunday's contest with an 0-2 record to begin the 2026 campaign. The Red Storm opened the season with a pair of 2-1 losses, falling to UMass and Boston College. Last season, the Red Storm finished 3-9-5 overall and 1-6-3 in BIG EAST play. St. John's returns 24 players and eight regular starters from last year's squad as Head Coach Ian Stone enters his 33rd season at the helm. The Red Storm's returning group includes goalkeeper Kayla Bower and forward Nora Basile (one goal, one assist), and was pegged to finish ninth in the Big East in the 2026 Preseason Poll ROSTER - SCHEDULE - STATS Columbia will honor the memory of Rocco B. Commisso '71SEAS '75BUS throughout the 2026 season with a commemorative patch featuring his initials, "RBC," on its kits. Commisso, who passed away on Jan. 16, 2026, at age 76, was a standout Columbia men's soccer player, longtime supporter of Columbia Athletics and accomplished business leader. A three-year All-Ivy League honoree as both a defensive and offensive player, he helped lead the Lions to winning records in each of his four seasons. As co-captain of the 1970 team, he helped guide Columbia to its first NCAA Tournament appearance. Commisso went on to become a successful entrepreneur, founding Mediacom Communications in 1995 and building it into one of the nation's largest cable television providers. He remained closely connected to soccer throughout his life, including ownership roles with the New York Cosmos and Italian Serie A club ACF Fiorentina. Columbia will remain in New York City next week, prepping for a home game against Villanova on Thursday, August 27. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. The Lions' full 2026 schedule can be found HERE. For the latest on the Columbia women's soccer program, follow @CULionsWSOC on X, Instagram, Facebook at Facebook.com/ColumbiaWSoccer and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.