University of Scranton Women's Soccer

Blake Mullen enters his fourth season as an assistant coach for the women's soccer program in 2025.  Mullen and the Royals earned their fifth straight Landmark Conference Title in 2024 with a 19-2-2 record (9-0 Landmark) and a 3-0 win over Lycoming in the title game. The team went on to beat Marywood University and No. 19 Wesleyan University in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Trinity University in the Sweet 16. Graduate Student Niamh Healy earned USC All-American First Team honors, while five players were recognized with USC All-Region honors, seven players notched All-Conference nods with Healy earning Landmark Offensive Player of the Year and freshman Aileen Carr earning Landmark Rookie of the Year. Head coach Colleen Pivirotto and Mullen earned 2024 Region V Staff of the Year and Landmark Staff of the Year. 2023 saw the Royals capture a fourth consecutive Landmark Conference title with a 13-4-3 record (8-1 Landmark) and a 3-0 victory over Catholic in the title game. Senior Niamh Healy scored 19 goals which was the most by a Scranton player since 2003 and earned USC All-American honors for her spectacular season. The Royals' coaching staff earned Landmark Conference Coaching Staff of the Year for the third year in a row. Mullen found immediate success during his first season with the program in 2022 as the Royals went 17-3-2 and won a third straight Landmark Conference title. The Royals notched NCAA Tournament wins over Bowdoin and Westfield State and advanced to a second consecutive Sweet 16 and five players earned USC All-Region honors in Mary Haggerty, Healy, Teresa Hegarty, Nikki Olson and Claire Sites. Head coach Colleen Pivirotto and Mullen notched Landmark Conference Coaching Staff of the year. Mullen joins the Royals following recent stints as a goalie coach at University of Virginia and Post University. During his time at Post, the Eagles captured the 2021 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament following a 4-1 victory over Lock Haven in the first round. Prior to Post, he handled goalie coaching duties and player operations responsibilities for The University of Vermont men’s soccer program. Mullen began his coaching career in 2019 as a goalie coach at Virginia Tech and found early success as he helped guide the Hokies to a 10-6-3 record that season and a Sweet 16 appearance after a 4-1 win over New Hampshire in the second round. The Connecticut native has also spent time with Seacoast United Soccer Club where he instructed children ranging from ages 7-18 on proper goalkeeping techniques as well as various other skills. He joined the coaching ranks following a storied playing career at Saint Joseph’s (Me.) where he broke multiple NCAA records and earned D3Soccer.com All-American honors on two occasions. Mullen holds NCAA Division III career records for goals against average (0.31, min. 2500 minutes) and consecutive shutout minutes (1706:09) as well as single-season records for save percentage (.981, 2017) and GAA (0.05, 2017). Saint Joseph’s won three straight Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championships in 2016, 2017, and 2018 to reach the NCAA Tournament in each season. In all three seasons, the Monks won a game in the tournament to advance to the Second Round.

Pivirotto returned to her alma mater in January 2008, replacing Toby Lovecchio, who served as interim head coach for the 2007 season after veteran head coach passed away on July 24, 2007. Pivirotto returned to Scranton after serving as assistant womens soccer coach at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pa., in 2007. The Greyhounds finished 15-6-1 and advanced to the championship match of the Landmark Conference tournament, and received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Prior to her appointment at Moravian, she served as an assistant womens soccer coach at Elmira College in Elmira, N.Y., from August 2004 through June 2006, including a stint as acting head coach from December 2005 through March 2006, while working on and eventually earning her Master of Science degree in adult education. Pivirotto also served as an administrative intern for the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators in Wilmington, N.C., where she was responsible for office management, assisting with the 2006 NACWAA convention, along with marketing and public relations. Pivirotto was a four-year letter-winner on some of the most successful teams in Scranton history under the legendary Bochicchio. She was a four-time all-Freedom Conference selection first team in 2000 and 2003 and second team in 2001 and 2002 and earned first-team all-Mid-Atlantic regional honors by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) in 2003. She started 81 of 83 career matches as the Royals posted a four-year overall record of 71-13-4 (.830), including four Freedom Conference championships and four NCAA tournament appearances. In her senior year, she served as team captain and was a key member of a Royal defensive unit that posted 21 shutouts en route to a school-record 22 victories on a team that ended its season with a hard-fought 1-0 loss in double overtime to eventual champion Oneonta State University in Oneonta, N.Y., in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. She also played a key role on the 2001 team that lost a 1-0 decision to Wheaton College (Ill.) in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament in Wheaton, Illinois, to put the wraps on a 17-4-1 season. Pivirotto is a native of Langhorne, Pa. and a graduate of Neshaminy High School. She was inducted into the Neshaminy High School Hall of Fame for girls soccer in 2006. Pivirotto is the fourth head coach in University of Scranton womens soccer history. She graduated cum laude from the university with a Bachelor of Science degree in management in 2004. She received her national diploma (with distinction) from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) in 2008. Pivirotto also serves as an assistant director of athletics and senior woman administrator. She is married to University of Scranton men's soccer coach Matt Pivirotto. Their son, Ben, was born on Dec. 4, 2015. 2010, 2011, 2012 2008, 2009. 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 : 100-43-18 (.677) 2008 (11-8), 2009 (13-4-2), 2010 (16-6-1), 2011 (13-4-3), 2012 (9-7-5), 2013 (15-3-3), 2014 (10-8-2), 2015 (13-4-2) Christina Akalski (1st team, 2013, 2014, 2015) Kelsey Bacon (1st team, 2015) Emily Boyce (2nd team, 2008) Caitlin Byrne (2nd team, 2009; 1st team, 2010) Erin Casey (2nd team, 2012; 1st team, 2013, 2014) Emily Farrell (1st team, 2010) Sarah Gibbons (1st team, 2011) Amanda Kresge (1st team, 2011) Emily MacPhee (1st team, 2008) Kelsy McAnelly (2nd team, 2011; 1st team, 2012; 1st team, 2013) Sydney Parker (2nd team, 2009; 1st team, 2010; 2nd team, 2011; 1st team, 2012) Chelsea Paskman (1st team, 2008; 1st team, 2009; 1st team, 2010) Samantha Russo (1st team, 2010; 1st team, 2011; 1st team, 2012; 1st team, 2013) Eileen Sodano (1st team, 2008) Jessica Sciscione (1st team, 2010; 1st team, 2011; 1st team, 2012) Jasmine Sconciafurno (2nd team, 2013; 1st team, 2014, 2015) Erin Unterstein (1st team, 2009) Gianna Vitolo (2nd team, 2015) Ellen Walker (2nd team, 2013) Krissy Welsh (1st team, 2015) Caitlin Byrne (2010) Amanda Kresge (2011) Erin Casey (2013) Jasmine Sconciafurno (2015) Chelsea Paskman (2009, 2010) Samantha Russo (2013) Samantha Russo (2010) Christina Akalski (2013) Chelsea Paskman (2nd team, 2009; 3rd team, 2010) Christina Akalski (2nd team, 2013, 2014; third team, 2015) Caitlin Byrne (3rd team, 2010) Erin Casey (3rd team, 2013) Sydney Parker (3rd team, 2010) Chelsea Paskman (2nd team, 2008; 1st team, 2009; 1st team, 2010) Samantha Russo (2nd team, 2010; 2nd team, 2013) Jasmine Sconciafurno (2nd team, 2015) Erin Unterstein (2nd team, 2009) : 2010 : 2013 John Kelly Morahan (co-head coach) George McGill '84 (co-head coach)