Franklin & Marshall College

Lancaster, PA 176043003

Pennsylvania Northeast

Private Small Developing team

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Coaches

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John Sumoski

John Sumoski was named the Franklin & Marshall College women's soccer program's 11th coach in the spring of 2018 and has already taken the Diplomats to new heights of success both on the field and in the classroom.

Sumoski led F&M women's soccer to new heights during the 2022 campaign where the Diplomats cracked the national rankings for the first time in program history, ascending to as high as No. 21 in the nation. This new feat came after a dominant September where F&M went unbeaten and outscored opponents 19-2 in the month.

When the Diplomats returned to the field in 2021, F&M had a historic season that saw the Diplomats make their first NCAA Tournament in program history. The Diplomats won their first-ever NCAA Tournament match against Western Connecticut State by a 2-1 score before falling by a single goal to eventual national champion Christopher Newport. That success came on the heels of F&M advancing to the Centennial Conference Championship for the first time in program history after a thrilling 1-0 victory over No. 2-ranked Johns Hopkins. Only penalty kicks against seventh-ranked McDaniel denied the team from its first-ever Centennial Championship. The Diplomats overall posted a 14-4-3 record as the team set new school records for both shutouts (13) and team GAA (0.47). Meg O'Callahan '23 became the program's first All-American since 1990 while two Diplomats were named to the all-region team and five players were named All-Centennial Conference. Not to be outdone in the classroom, the Diplomats tied the school record with 19 players named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll.

The 2019 season saw the Diplomats finishing with their first winning record since 2011 and their first double-digit victory season since 2005. F&M enjoyed its best statistical season in more than a decade as the team's 1.65 goals per game average was the highest since 2003 and F&M's 1.18 assists per game average was unmatched since the 2005 campaign. Although the 2020 season was canceled, the Diplomats achieved great success in the classroom as 19 student-athletes were named to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll.

A 1992 graduate from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Sumoski spent the previous 16 years as the head coach of the women's soccer program at Wilkes University. He left as the program's all-time winningest coach, leading the Colonels to a 158-128-32 record including 14 trips to the MAC Freedom tournament, three trips to the ECAC Tournament, and an NCAA Tournament Berth in 2017. He was a four-time conference coach of the year and named the 2017 ECAC Division III Coach of the Year.

Sumoski put together 11 seasons of nine-plus wins, including six years of at least 12. He coached 13 Mid-Atlantic All-Region players, 65 All-Freedom Conference players, four conference rookies of the year, and one Freedom Conference player of the year during his time at Wilkes.

Off the field, the Colonels were successful in the classroom under Sumoski, as 48 student-athletes were named to the Freedom Conference's academic honor roll, with three more being named an Academic All-American. The program also earned 15 NSCAA team academic honors.

Sumoski, who has an Advanced National Diploma in coaching from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, while also holding an "A" License from the United States Soccer Federation, coached at Division I Central Michigan University from 2000-02, and before that helped start the women's program at Carlow College as the head coach from 1998-2000. He also spent two seasons at Carnegie Mellon University, in 1995 and 1997, Sumoski was an age group head coach for the Pennsylvania West Girls Olympic Development program.

Sumoski is a former standout player at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, an NCAA Division II member. During his playing days from 1987 to 1990, Sumoski set the record for most goals in a season (18), which was the 10th highest in Division II, and finished with 37 career goals. For his efforts, he was named All-Conference three times and a Regional All-American twice. In April of 2017, he was inducted into the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown's Athletics Hall of Fame. Sumoski has a B.A. in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown in 1992 and earned an M.A. in Athletic Administration from Central Michigan University in 2002.

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Chris Ackerman

Chris Ackerman joined the Franklin & Marshall women's soccer staff as an assistant coach for 2018. Ackerman is involved with multiple facets of the Franklin & Marshall program, including recruiting. Ackerman has been on staff for the rise to prominance of the F&M program which is currently highlighted by the team's first NCAA Tournament and Centennial Conference Championship game appearances in program history during the 2021 season.

Previously Ackerman was at Elizabethown College for six years as the Blue Jays experienced six consecutive winning seasons and qualified for the postseason in each of the last four.

Elizabethtown's win totals increased with Ackerman on staff from 2010-14, topping out with a 13-4-0 mark in 2014. The Blue Jays went 12-8-0 in 2013 to capture an at-large berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament, their first appearance since 2007.

He has dedicated almost two decades to coaching soccer in Pennsylvania from the youth to collegiate levels, and will begin his 19th year of coaching in 2018.

In addition to his coaching experience, Ackerman has served as an instructor and coach at numerous camps and clinics. He's also been featured as a guest coach at various team practices.

Ackerman currently holds both his NSCAA Advanced Regional Diploma and NSCAA State goalkeeping diploma.

Chris and his wife Courtney reside in Mountville, Pa., with their children Schuyler, Logan, and Camryn.

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Emily Eyler

Emily Eyler joined the Franklin & Marshall women’s soccer coaching staff at the start of the 2020-21 academic year. During her time at F&M, the Diplomats have already made their first NCAA Tournament and Centennial Conference Championship match appearances in program history. She was a four-year member of the Wilkes University women’s soccer team and played her first three collegiate seasons under current F&M head coach John Sumoski. Eyler and the Colonels advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2017, just one year prior to Sumoski’s arrival in Lancaster.

Named a second-team All-MAC Freedom selection in 2018, she helped Wilkes to back-to-back Freedom Conference Championship appearances during her final two seasons. Eyler started 61 of her 77 career appearances as a midfielder and excelled in the classroom where she was named a member of Colonels Elite prior to her graduation from Wilkes.

Eyler originally hails from Vestal, New York where she attended Vestal High School and played varsity soccer for three years. She served as team captain during her senior season while also competing with the Greater Binghamton Football Club. Eyler graduated from Wilkes in the spring of 2019 and has worked for the School District of Lancaster as Primary Learning Support Teacher since 2020.

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Eileen Blumenauer

Eileen Blumenauer was named an assistant coach for the Franklin & Marshall women’s soccer team prior to the start of the 2023 season. Blumenauer joins the Diplomats following a three-year stint as an assistant coach at Williams College where she helped guide the Ephs to the 2019 NCAA Elite 8. Blumenauer also brings head coaching experience to the position, having held that position at Utica College during the 2015-18 seasons. Her success at Utica was highlighted by guiding the Pioneers to the 2018 Empire 8 Championship as the team made its first playoff appearance in over a decade.

Prior to coaching at Utica, Blumenauer spent three seasons as a graduate assistant coach at St. Lawrence University and was an assistant coach at Endicott College for one year. Blumenauer has also been very active on the club scene during her coaching tenure as she worked with the Coliseum Soccer Club, Aztec Soccer Club, Cape Ann YMCA, and FC Freeze Soccer Club throughout her career.

The wife of F&M head football coach Tom Blumenauer, Eileen obtained her National E coaching license from the United Soccer Coaches and has attended multiple national conventions. Blumenauer holds her master’s degree from St. Lawrence in education & school counseling after earning her bachelor’s degree in 2009 from SUNY Geneseo in psychology. At SUNY Geneseo, Blumenauer competed in women's soccer and lacrosse, earning SUNYAC All-Conference laurels in women's soccer while leading the Knights to a SUNYAC Conference Championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance as a senior. She was also a two-year member of the soccer and lacrosse teams at Herkimer Community College where she earned an associate degree in arts and sciences and a was a two-time All-American who was later inducted into the HCC Hall of Fame in 2014.

Following her collegiate career, Blumenauer played professionally for the Rochester Ravens of the United Soccer League during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

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Dan Wagner

The 19th head coach in Franklin & Marshall's history, Dan Wagner enters his 22nd season in charge of the Diplomats. In 2023, Wagner became the winningest coach in Centennial men’s soccer history, surpassing Johns Hopkin’s Matt Smith who had won 240 games.

Over the last nine years, F&M has had unprecedented NCAA tournament success. The Diplomats are second in the nation for consecutive NCAA tournament bids with nine. This shatters Dickinson’s previous Centennial Conference record of five consecutive NCAA bids. Wagner has won 15 NCAA games during this period, outpacing Matt Smith’s previous record of seven. During this time the Diplomats have gone to the Sweet 16 four times and the Elite 8 twice. Wagner has guided the Diplomats to 18 straight winning seasons, including 13 consecutive appearances in the Centennial Conference (CC) Playoffs.

Wagner’s players have been named All-America 12 times during his tenure and CC Players of the Year in four seasons. Connor Whitacre ‘20 became the first CC player to be named D3soccer.com Defender of the Year. Brandon Corday '08 remains the only CC player to repeat as CC Player of the year and first-team All-American and Ugo Okolie is the only CC player to be named All-American as an underclassman.

F&M has also been recognized nationally as one of Division III’s most respected and successful programs with a consistent place in the top-25 rankings. The 2015 squad became the first in program history to reach No. 1 in the nation – a reign the Diplomats held for four consecutive weeks, while the 2016 team finished at No. 6 in the final National Soccer Coaches Association of America's (NSCAA) National Poll – the highest ever for F&M. During the 2021 season, Franklin & Marshall was ranked as high as No. 2 in the country during the regular season.

Wagner's soccer pedigree is rich. Steeped in the storied tradition of Messiah soccer, where he excelled as an undergrad, Wagner is the only player to captain the Falcons for three seasons. While playing in Grantham, he earned All-Middle Atlantic Conference honors in 1991, 1994 and 1995. He finished his career at Messiah with 16 goals and 23 assists for 55 points. Wagner also captained Mechanicsburg High School for three seasons and was named Mid-Penn Player of the Year in 1991. He also was All-State and captained his EPYSA ODP team.

Wagner also directs the F&M Soccer Africa Project, a cooperative venture with Amandla Edufootball and the CTC Ten Foundation. This group has created the Chris Campbell Memorial Field as well as a clubhouse and education center in Khayelitsha South Africa. The facility operates similar to a boy’s and girl’s club in the United States and promotes positive life choices for underprivileged youth in one of the poorest areas of South Africa. The idea of the facility was conceived by Wagner, created by CTC Ten and is now managed by South African NGO Amandla Edufootball. The F&M soccer team travels to Cape Town every three years in support of the facility. Wagner also works closely with F&M’s Ware Institutes for Civic Engagement in supporting faculty and student study abroad, volunteer and community-based learning experiences.

In addition to his time at Franklin & Marshall, Wagner is the Co-Director of Tactical Team Trainers, conducting high school soccer team and player development camps.

Wagner first went from the pitch to the sideline at Northern York High School, coaching the girls' junior varsity (1994) and varsity (1995) teams. From Dillsburg, it was on to Pequea Valley High School, where he stood at the helm for two seasons. In that time, he raised the varsity boys' program from a 5-13 record in 1997, to 14-4 in 1998. The sudden turnaround earned Wagner the 1998 Lancaster-Lebanon League Section III Coach of the Year award and demonstrated his uncanny knack for making his teams instantly competitive.

Career Highlights

Winningest Coach in Centennial Conference Men’s Soccer History

Winnigest NCAA coach in Centennial Conference Men’s Soccer History

Three-time NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year 2006, 2007, 2008

Two-time Centennial Conference Coach of the Year 2019, 2022

Two Centennial Conference Championships

Four NCAA Sweet 16 Appearances

Two NCAA Elite Eight Appearances

Undefeated Regular Season in 2014

Reached No. 1 Ranking in 2015

18 Straight Winning Seasons

13 Consecutive CC Playoff Appearances

Coached 12 All-Americans, Four CC Players of the Year, One National Defender of the Year

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Donnie Spangler

Donnie Spangler joined the F&M staff in 2011 following a highly successful four-year stint as head coach of the Lampeter-Strasburg boys soccer team. His contributions have helped the Diplomats advance to the NCAA Tournament during each of the last eight seasons, the longest such streak in Centennial Conference history. The Diplomats have also captured the first two Centennial Conference Championships in program history (2013, 17) during his tenure.

From 2007-10, Spangler guided Lampeter-Strasburg to a 52-30-3 record, including a banner year in 2008 in which the Pioneers went 18-8, won the section title and advanced to the state quarterfinals. The 2008 season was the best in school history and earned Spangler Lancaster County Coach of the Year honors. Eleven of Spangler's players went on to play at the collegiate level during his four years at the helm of the program.

Spangler is a 2005 graduate of Millersville University, a 2001 graduate of Penn Manor High School and has worked as a high school math teacher at Lampeter-Strasburg since 2005.

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Gio Van Heesewijk

Gio Van Heesewijk joined the Franklin & Marshall coaching staff prior to the 2022 season after wrapping up his playing career at nearby Elizabethtown College. Playing in the midfield and on defense from 2018-2021, Van Heesewijk made an immediate impact with the Blue Jays as he helped them to the Landmark Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament during the 2018 season. Elizabethtown made the Landmark Championship during each of his competitive seasons, returning to the championship match during the 2019 and 2021 campaigns.

Originally born in the Netherlands, Van Heesewijk was three-sport athlete at Edison High School in Alexandria, Virginia where he also lettered in cross country and track & field. He graduated from Elizabethtown in the spring of 2022 with a degree in sociology and anthropology, concentrating in criminology.