Last season ended one goal short of a national championship, and that’s the only way to start this preview. The 2026 Patriots didn’t lose a bunch of production this offseason. They lost a single game, on penalties, and now they get to try again with almost everyone who lived through it.
The Story So Far
Cumberlands went 17-4-4 in 2025 and rode that run all the way to the national title game. They led Keiser 1-0 late. Keiser found an equalizer in the final minutes to force penalties, then won it there. It’s the kind of finish that either breaks a program’s momentum or fuels the next one, and this roster says which one it’s going to be.
Almost Everyone’s Back
The 2026 roster returns:
- 61% of the team’s points from a season ago
- 60% of its goals
- 63% of its assists
That’s not a reload. That’s the same team, mostly intact, given another shot.
The Engine: Nicole Araujo
Nicole Araujo led the team in every meaningful offensive category last season: 11 goals, 9 assists, 31 points, all team highs. She’s back for a final season and remains the clearest reason to believe this offense doesn’t miss a step.
The Wall Stays: Morgan White
Behind her, Morgan White returns in goal after a sophomore season that was about as complete as it gets: a 0.80 goals-against average, nine shutouts, and 2,142 of the team’s 2,277 total minutes in net. When a program returns its best scorer and its best goalkeeper in the same offseason, that’s the foundation for another deep run.
The Rest of the Core
Araujo and White aren’t walking into this alone. Abigail Little (7G, 7A, 21 points), Ines Martin (4G, 2A, 10 points), Wakana Ose (5G, 2A, 12 points), Samantha Sokolove (9 assists), Tori Robertson (6G in just 10 games), and Letizia Traversone all return. That’s six more players who scored real minutes on a national runner-up.
What’s Actually Gone
The losses here read differently than most season previews. Sara Soto, Kayah Robbins, and Karla Waibel graduated. But Carola Fontan, last year’s second-leading scorer with 7 goals and 10 assists, and Madison Long didn’t leave the program at all. They moved to the sideline as assistant coach and volunteer assistant coach, respectively. The team loses their cleats but keeps their voices in the building.
A Global Freshman Class
Depth is arriving from six countries: Russia, Spain, Germany, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Montenegro, and Colombia round out a ten-player freshman class. None of them need to be the star this year with Araujo, Little, and Ose still in the building, and that’s exactly the point. They get to develop behind a roster that’s already been to a national title game.
The Slate Ahead
The season opener against Milligan, originally set for August 20, was postponed after Wednesday’s tragedy involving the Milligan cycling team. Our thoughts are with their program. The Patriots now open on Saturday, August 22 against Union Commonwealth, with a rematch against Keiser waiting on September 12 back in Williamsburg.
Our Take
This team is hungry. They were a minute away from a national championship before Keiser scored late and won it on PKs. Almost the entire roster that lived through that night is back, led by the best player in the program and a goalkeeper who barely left the field last year. This isn’t a group trying to get back to the final. This group is looking to eat good this season and finish what they started.
