LATHAM, N.Y. – The United East crowned its 2026 Women's Soccer Champion on Saturday afternoon as top-seeded Penn State Harrisburg defeated No. 3 St. Mary's College of Maryland, 2-0, in the conference championship game. The Lions captured their third consecutive conference championship and fifth in program history, having previously won titles in 2009, 2021, 2024 and 2025. With the victory, Harrisburg earned the United East's automatic qualification into the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship.

The championship marks the first for Penn State Harrisburg head coach Matt Garrett, who guided the Lions to the conference crown in his first season at the helm. Harrisburg (11-5-2) returns to the NCAA Tournament after an impressive postseason run in 2025, when the Lions won two national tournament games to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

The Lions will learn their NCAA Tournament opponent and destination during the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Selection Show on Monday, November 9.

No. 1 Penn State Harrisburg def. No. 3 St. Mary's College of Maryland, 2-0 (Box Score)

Penn State Harrisburg seized the early momentum, opening the scoring in the 10th minute of the championship contest. Abigail Mahaffey found the back of the net at the 9:36 mark, giving the Lions an early 1-0 advantage over the Seahawks.

Harrisburg's defense controlled the opening half, limiting St. Mary's College (Md.) to no shot attempts through the first 45 minutes of action. The Lions maintained their one-goal advantage heading into the halftime break.

The Seahawks looked to respond in the second half, generating several offensive opportunities in search of the equalizer. The Seahawks recorded all four of their shots after halftime, but Harrisburg goalkeeper Sydney Mulka and the Lions' defensive unit held firm to preserve the lead.

With under four minutes remaining in regulation, Penn State Harrisburg doubled its advantage. Julia Hughes connected with Olivia Sgrignioli, who found the back of the net at the 86:12 mark to extend the Lions' lead to 2-0 and put the championship out of reach.

Penn State Harrisburg finished the contest with a 6-4 advantage in total shots and a 5-4 edge in corner kicks. Mulka recorded three saves to secure the shutout as the Lions captured their third straight conference crown.

The championship capped off another impressive conference campaign for Harrisburg, which entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed after finishing United East regular-season play with an undefeated 7-0-1 record. The Lions continued their success in the postseason, recording three consecutive shutout victories to claim the conference title.

Olivia Sgrignioli of Penn State Harrisburg was named the 2026 United East Women's Soccer Championship Most Valuable Player. Sgrignioli played all 90 minutes of the championship contest and scored her lone goal of the match in the 87th minute, helping the Lions secure the shutout victory. The championship performance followed an impressive semifinal showing in which Sgrignioli recorded a hat trick against Lancaster Bible College.

For more information about the 2026 United East Women's Soccer Championship, click HERE.