St. John's Fisher College Women's Soccer

The St. John Fisher women’s soccer team continues to rise under Molly Romano, who has led one of the most consistent programs in the region since becoming the Cardinals’ head coach in August 2019.  The sixth head coach in Fisher history, Romano has won double-digit games in two of the last four seasons, including 11 in 2024, tied for the fourth most by a team in program history. The Cardinals have an impressive 29-6-13 record in Empire 8 Conference regular-season contests with Romano at the helm. Excluding the COVID-19-altered 2020 season, the Cardinals have reached the Empire 8 semifinals every season under Romano. Fisher played in the conference title game in 2021 and 2023.  This past season, the Cardinals went 11-6-1 overall (8-2-1 E8 regular season) and fell to No. 2-seeded Geneseo in the E8 semifinals after beating No. 6 Alfred 1-0 in overtime in the quarterfinals. The Cardinals had the longest winning streak in program history (6 wins) since at least 2000 during the regular season, a run that included a 2-0 run win over eventual NCAA Tournament qualifier SUNY Brockport, which hadn’t lost a regular-season game since Sept. 27, 2023.  The Cardinals in 2023 went 8-4-5 overall, including a 4-0-4 mark in E8 regular-season play. They beat Alfred in the conference semifinals before falling to East Avenue rival Nazareth in the championship game. In 2022, Romano and her staff won the E8 Coaching Staff of the Year award after leading the Cardinals to an 8-3-6 overall record (6-0-3 E8 regular season). Fisher also had the E8 Defensive Player of the Year that season in Bella Guarracino. In 2021, the Cardinals went 10-6-1 overall (5-2-1 E8 regular season) and made it to the conference championship game for the first time in program history. The Cardinals that season beat the University of Rochester for the first time in nearly four decades and led the Empire 8 in scoring at 2.94 goals per game. Carli Kovarik, who led the conference with 15 goals, became the first player in program history to be named E8 Player of the Year. Emma Spelman became the third player in Fisher history to be named E8 Rookie of the Year after leading the Cardinals in assists (7).  In her first year, Romano and the Cardinals earned an Empire 8 Regular Season Championship for the first time in team history and earned the right to host an Empire 8 Championship game at Growney Stadium. Fisher posted a 7-7-3 overall record that included a seven-game unbeaten streak to close out the regular season. Fisher was 4-0-3 in Empire 8 regular-season play, including a 2-1 come-from-behind win against Nazareth - the team's first win over the Golden Flyers in nearly 30 years.   Before becoming Fisher’s head coach, Romano spent two seasons (2017-18) as an assistant across town at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The Tigers went 23-10-7, made back-to-back appearances in the Liberty League title game and appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history during Romano’s time on staff.  Romano also made stops as an assistant coach at Lasell College (2008) and Bentley University (2009). In addition to her experience at the collegiate level, Romano served as the head coach of the Pittsford Mustangs Girls Under-17/18 team and the U14 Empire United team. She was an assistant coach for the Pittsford Sutherland Girls’ Soccer Team from 2013-16 and the head coach at Beaver Country Day School from 2010-13. Romano was an offensive threat during her playing career at John Carroll University. She earned All-Ohio Athletic Conference, All-Academic honors and secured the team’s offensive MVP in 2003 and 2004. Romano graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Middle Childhood Education from John Carroll in 2005. Year By Year At Fisher  Season Overall Record Conference Regular-Season Record/Postseason Finish 2025 13-5-2 9-1-1 (won the Empire 8 title, lost in first round of NCAA Tournament) 2024 11-6-2 8-2-1 (Empire 8 Semifinals) 2023 8-4-5 4-0-4 (reached Empire 8 Championship game) 2022 8-3-6 6-0-3 (Empire 8 Semifinals) 2021 10-6-1 5-2-1 (reached Empire 8 Championship game) 2020-21 (COVID-altered season) 2-3-1 2-2-1 (Empire 8 Quarterfinals) 2019 7-7-3 4-0-3 (Empire 8 Semifinals) Career Record 46-29-18 (.591) 29-6-13 (.739) By The Numbers Under Romano All-Empire 8 Honors Earned: 50 (15 first team) United Soccer Coaches All-Region Honors Earned: 9 (2 first team) Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year Winners: 2… Carli Kovarik (2021), Emily Woolingham (2025) Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year Winners: 1… Bella Guarracino (2022) Empire 8 Rookie of the Year Winners: 1… Emma Spelman (2021) College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Honorees: 17 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All Americans: 1… Maddie Wania (2025)

Tim joined the women's soccer program in the fall of 2019 following the hiring of Head Coach Molly Romano. He brings experience of coaching internationally as well as in the Rochester area.  Tim studied English and Business English at Euro College Aschaffenburg in Germany and would earn his Bachelor's degree in July 2011. He started his soccer coaching career in Germany as a Head Coach of the DJK Aschaffenburg U16 team. He also was the assistant coach and head of scouting/recruiting for Kickers 06 Aschaffenburg.  Tim earned his Associate's degree in International Business from Monroe Community College in June 2014. In 2018, he started serving as an assistant coach for Empire United, a local club organization, for its U14 girls and U15 boys teams. He is bilingual in both German and English and speaks Spanish at the intermediate level.   

Head coach Molly Romano of the St. John Fisher University women’s soccer team has announced the addition of Elena Sullivan to her staff as the coach of the Cardinals’ junior varsity program. A former Division I student-athlete at nearby Niagara University, Sullivan currently works as an Information Analyst with the University of Rochester’s Kessler Burn and Trauama Center.  In addition, Sullivan is heavily involved with Rochester Regional Health Total Sports Experience where she assists in the facility’s daily operations and has worked to create an educational environment for youth athletes. A Dean’s List student while at Niagara, Sullivan also had a decorated playing career in the high school ranks after being named First-Team All-Monroe County for Spencerport.  She also served as a team captain and helped lead her team to two New York State Championships in 2012 and 2014. Sullivan graduated from Niagara is 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.