Davidson College

Davidson College Athletics
209 Ridge Rd. Davidson, NC 28036

Division 1 North Carolina Southeast

Private Small National competitor

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Riley Piechnick

Riley Piechnick was named the fifth head women's soccer coach in Davidson College history, Director of Athletics Chris Clunie announced Thursday, Feb. 9.

Piechnick comes to Davidson from Bucknell University, where she most recently served as associate head coach for a program that won the last two Patriot League championships and played in two NCAA Tournaments.

"We are excited to welcome Riley as the next head coach of our women's soccer program," said Clunie. "She brings with her a tremendous skillset, a versatile background and an unquestioned passion, and we look forward to the impact she will have on our scholar-athletes, our women's soccer program and our community."

"I am honored to be named the next women's soccer head coach at Davidson College," said Piechnick. "I would like to thank Athletic Director Chris Clunie and Senior Associate Director Katy McNay for this opportunity. I knew from the moment I stepped on campus that Davidson College is a special place that is committed to providing an exceptional student-athlete experience, while also competing at the highest level of athletics. I see tremendous potential for the women's soccer program and am excited to get started!"

Piechnick (pronounced "picnic") joined the Bucknell program as an assistant coach in February, 2018 and was promoted to associate head coach in June, 2022.

This past season, Bucknell entered the postseason tournament as the second seed and won the championship with back-to-back shootout victories, including against top-seeded Army West Point in the final. The Bison had the top-performing defensive unit in the conference, including lowest goals against average (.726), most shutouts (11) and fewest goals allowed (15).

In 2021, the fourth-seeded Bison blanked three straight opponents in the Patriot League Tournament, including top-seeded Boston University 1-0, to win the championship, the program's first.

At Bucknell, Piechnick coached a Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year (2021), a Patriot League Midfielder of the Year (2022) and a Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year (2022), 12 All-Patriot League players, two United Soccer Coach All-Region honorees, two Academic All-Patriot selections and helped the Bison earn the United Soccer Coaches Academic Team Award (2018-21).

A Pittsburgh, Pa., native, Piechnick is a member of the United Soccer Coaches 30 Under 30's 2022-23 class.

Piechnick is a 2016 graduate of Loyola University Maryland, where she was a three-year starting defender. She helped the Greyhounds win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title in 2012 before the program moved into the Patriot League. In 2015, she helped the team reach the Patriot League Tournament semifinals. Piechnick was an Academic Honor Roll pick all four seasons in the MAAC and Patriot League.

A Dean's List student, she earned her degree in business administration with a marketing emphasis and was inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society. She also served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for four years.

A 2019 graduate of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy, Piechnick began her coaching career in 2016 at Gettysburg College, where she helped the Bullets go 9-7-2, with a 6-4 Centennial Conference record, in 2017.

Piechnick has also coached with the Alliance Soccer Club in Maryland, as well as extensively on the camps circuit.

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Sophie McKnight

Sophie McKnight joined the Davidson women’s soccer program as assistant coach in late March, 2023.

McKnight came to Davidson after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at Division III Haverford College.

“I am thrilled for Sophie to be joining the Davidson women’s soccer program,” head coach Riley Piechnick said. “She has a strong knowledge of the game, and her past coaching experiences have well prepared her for this next step. Sophie is dedicated to the development of our scholar-athletes as players, but more importantly as people. Her work ethic and passion are evident, and I believe Sophie will make an immediate impact on the program and help us achieve our goals.”

McKnight is a 2019 graduate of Elizabethtown College and earned her degree in Communications. She recently completed her Master’s in Sports Management, with a concentration in intercollegiate athletic administration, and earned a certification in sports psychology, from California University of Pennsylvania.

“I am so excited to be named the assistant coach of Davidson College women’s soccer,” said McKnight. “I want to thank head coach Riley Piechnick and the rest of the athletic department for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this program and campus community. Stepping on campus for the first time just felt right, and I knew it’s where I wanted to be. I am ready to get started and help this already competitive program reach new heights.”

McKnight also served as head coach and college advisory program director of the Pennsylvania Rush Soccer Club, dating to 2019.

Before her time at Haverford, McKnight worked as an assistant at Montgomery County Community College and was a varsity assistant and junior varsity head coach at Lansdale Catholic High School.