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Franklin & Marshall College

Franklin & Marshall College Athletics
 College Ave & James St / PO Box 3003 Lancaster, PA 176043003
Division 3 Pennsylvania Northeast
Private Small Developing team
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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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