Detroit City FC MASLW 2025-26 Season Recap
From the first training session to the last horn of championship weekend, Detroit City FC‘s MASLW season felt like the work of a group that knew exactly who it was and who it wanted to be. At the center of it all stood head coach Dani Evans, flanked by assistants Becky Ansell and Makenna Mascaro, a staff whose blend of experience, teaching, and fierce competitiveness helped shape a roster stacked with attacking talent into one of the most relentless, cohesive sides in the league.
The campaign roared to life in early December on the road in Ohio, where Le Rouge opened Great Lakes North play by overwhelming Youngstown 17–2, a night that saw Katie Coleman and Hannah Crum both bag hat tricks, Mackenzie Reuber, Megan Verant, and Ania Dow add braces, and Kayla Addison, Ella Karolak, Zoe Greenhalge, Erin Torrence, and Amanda Britain each chip in a goal of their own. Even an early 10–7 setback away to FC Berlin—despite another multi-goal outing from Megan Verant—felt less like a warning sign and more like a glimpse of just how explosive Detroit could be in open, end-to-end games.
When the season finally came home to Detroit, the Fieldhouse responded with a sold-out, standing-room-only welcome that set the tone for the winter. In that 6–4 win over FC Berlin, Ania Dow delivered a brace under pressure, with Kayla Addison, Megan Verant, Mackenzie Reuber, and Zoe Greenhalge all finding the net to pull City level on points and reassert their home as one of the league’s most intimidating floors. On the other end, Kerstyn Williams quietly began laying the foundation for what would become a historic season in goal, giving Detroit the freedom to press without fear.
As winter tightened its grip, Detroit only grew more ruthless. A 16–1 friendly win over Waza Flo showed that the standard didn’t drop even outside league play, and then came a 19–0 demolition of Youngstown and a 9–0 shutout of Columbus, results that turned the Fieldhouse into a weekly highlight reel and pushed Le Rouge toward another division title. It was in that stretch that Kerstyn Williams carved her name into league history, becoming the first goalkeeper in MASLW to record back-to-back shutouts—part of a scoreless streak of more than 125 minutes—that helped clinch the Great Lakes North crown and ultimately earned her recognition as the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
If those scorelines showcased the team’s depth, the playoff push put a spotlight on one of its brightest stars. In the quarterfinal showdown at the Detroit City Fieldhouse, Erin Torrence delivered one of the biggest individual performances of the entire MASLW season, scoring five goals in a single game to propel Detroit past Louisville Triumph 6–5 and into the national semifinals. That night crystallized why Torrence finished the year as a First Team All-MASLW selection: a relentless runner off the ball, a fearless finisher under pressure, and a leader who seemed to elevate her game when the stakes and the noise were highest.
Away from the scoreboard, the club’s off-field work was rewarded when the league selected Detroit to host the 2025–26 MASL W playoffs, bringing the country’s best to the very boards where Evans, Ansell, Mascaro, and their squad had spent months refining their craft. Over three days in March, quarterfinals, semifinals, and a championship unfolded with the Fieldhouse atmosphere and club operations drawing praise from league officials and visiting teams alike and confirming Detroit City FC as one of the true standard-bearers of women’s arena soccer.
By season’s end, the story of Detroit City’s MASLW run was bigger than any one scoreline: a staff that set a clear vision, a Goalkeeper of the Year in Williams anchoring a fearless, front-foot style, and an attacking core led by stars like Torrence who proved they could shine when it mattered most. In a league that continues to grow in stature and visibility, Detroit once again finished the winter as a measuring stick for everyone else—and as a team that, thanks to the work of Evans, Ansell, Mascaro, and a locker room full of believers, still looks like it has more chapters left to write.
Detroit City FC MASLW 2025-26 Season: By The Numbers
Team Accomplishments
Great Lakes North Division Champions – Detroit City FC captured the division title with a dominant regular season performance, outscoring opponents 101-41 and establishing the Detroit City Fieldhouse as one of the most feared venues in the league.
Tournament Host City – The MASLW selected Detroit to host the 2025-26 playoffs, bringing quarterfinals, semifinals, and the championship to the Detroit City Fieldhouse March 20-22, a testament to the organization’s professionalism and fan support.
First Back-to-Back Shutouts in League History – Goalkeeper Kerstyn Williams made history by recording consecutive shutouts (19-0 vs. Youngstown on February 28, 9-0 vs. Columbus on March 7), establishing a scoreless streak exceeding 125 minutes.
Sold-Out Home Opener – The January 3 home opener against FC Berlin drew a capacity crowd, continuing the tradition established during the team’s inaugural arena soccer season when all home matches sold out.
League Awards & Recognition
Kerstyn Williams – Goalkeeper of the Year, first Detroit City FC player to earn a major MASLW individual award. The Taylor, Michigan native and Lourdes University product became the league’s first goalkeeper to record back-to-back shutouts and brought a 125+ minute scoreless streak into the playoffs.
Erin Torrence – First Team All-MASLW, led the team in scoring with 12 goals and seven assists for 19 points. The Hudson, Ohio native and Eastern Kentucky University graduate (first player in EKU women’s soccer history named an Academic All-American) delivered one of the season’s signature performances with five goals and an assist in the playoff quarterfinal 6-5 win against Louisville Triumph.
Roster Breakdown
Goalkeepers
- Kerstyn Williams (#1) – Goalkeeper of the Year
- Becca Przybylo (#2)
- Allison LaPoint (#34)
Defenders
- Clare Ciarlino (#11)
- Jennifer Panergo (#12)
- Ella Karolak (#13)
- Mary Grimes (#24)
- Kyra Karfonta (#25)
- Alexandria Tefend (#27)
- Elisa Baeron (#29) – Assisted on Ania Dow’s second goal in home opener vs. FC Berlin
- Fatima Nasser (#91)
Midfielders
- Megan Verant (#4) – Multi-goal scorer in both road matches (vs. FC Berlin and Youngstown), consistent offensive threat throughout the season
- Karina Medina (#6)
- Katie Coleman (#8) – Hat trick in season-opening 17-2 win at Youngstown
- Zoe Greenhalge (#14) – Scored insurance goal with 2:44 remaining in home opener vs. FC Berlin, multiple-goal contributor throughout season
- Daniela Alvarez (#17)
- Amanda Britain (#23) – Goal scorer in season opener at Youngstown
- Tatiana Mason (#31)
Forwards
- Kayla Addison (#9) – Team’s leading scorer previous season (24 goals in 11 matches), continued high-level production in 2025-26
- Hannah Crum (#10) – Hat trick in season-opening 17-2 win at Youngstown
- Mackenzie Reuber (#15) – Brace in season opener, goal in home opener vs. FC Berlin (fifth minute of third period)
- Erin Torrence (#19) – First Team All-MASLW, team scoring leader (12 goals, 7 assists), five-goal playoff quarterfinal performance
- Ania Dow (#20) – Brace in home opener vs. FC Berlin, multiple braces throughout season including season opener at Youngstown
Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Dani Evans – Returned for second season leading the MASLW side, guiding the team to the Great Lakes North title and establishing a winning culture built on relentless attacking soccer and defensive discipline.
Assistant Coaches: Becky Ansell & Makenna Mascaro – Veteran assistants whose experience and teaching helped mold a deep, talented roster into a cohesive championship contender.
Season Highlights & Statistical Milestones
17-2 Road Victory at Youngstown (Season Opener, December 6) – Le Rouge announced their intentions with eight different goal scorers including hat tricks from Katie Coleman and Hannah Crum, braces from Mackenzie Reuber, Megan Verant, and Ania Dow, plus goals from Kayla Addison, Mary Ella Karolak, Zoe Greenhalge, Erin Torrence, and Amanda Britain.
6-4 Home Win vs. FC Berlin (January 3) – Sold-out Detroit City Fieldhouse witnessed Ania Dow’s brace along with goals from Kayla Addison, Megan Verant, Mackenzie Reuber (fifth minute of third period), and Zoe Greenhalge (2:44 remaining, sealing victory), pulling City level on points in the division.
16-1 Friendly Win vs. Waza Flo (February 21) – Detroit maintained championship standards even in non-league play with a dominant home performance.
19-0 Shutout of Youngstown (February 28) – Historic first half of back-to-back shutouts as Kerstyn Williams began her record-setting scoreless streak, with offense overwhelming visitors in statement win.
9-0 Shutout of Columbus Eagles FC (March 7) – Williams completed league-first back-to-back shutouts, extending scoreless streak beyond 125 minutes while offense continued clinic-level performance.
6-5 Playoff Quarterfinal Win vs. Louisville Triumph (March 20) – Erin Torrence delivered one of the MASLW season’s most dominant individual performances with five goals, propelling Detroit past Louisville in front of the home crowd and advancing to the national semifinals. The back-and-forth thriller showcased both Detroit’s offensive firepower and ability to win tight, high-pressure games.
The Foundation
From goalkeeper Kerstyn Williams anchoring the defense with record-setting shutouts to forwards like Erin Torrence, Kayla Addison, Ania Dow, and Hannah Crum leading waves of attacks, from midfield engines Megan Verant and Katie Coleman to a defensive corps marshaled by veterans like Elisa Baeron, Detroit City FC’s 2025-26 MASLW roster represented one of the deepest, most balanced sides in the league. Under the guidance of head coach Dani Evans and assistants Becky Ansell and Makenna Mascaro, 23 players contributed to a division championship, a playoff run on home territory, and a season that reinforced Detroit City FC as a standard-bearer for women’s arena soccer in North America.
