Riley Piechnick hired as head coach of Davidson College women’s soccer team
DAVIDSON — Riley Piechnick has been named the fifth head women’s soccer coach in Davidson College history, Director of Athletics Chris Clunie announced.
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.
