2016 NSCAA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year | 2016 and 2021 NEWMAC Coach of the Year
Steph Riley-Schafer, who touts eight winning seasons and NEWMAC tournament appearances, brings an 127-74-35Â (.612) record into her 14th season at the helm of the Engineers in 2026.
Since taking over the WPI Women’s Soccer program, Stephanie Riley-Schafer has guided the Engineers through one of the strongest and most sustained stretches in program history, highlighted by a NEWMAC championship, an NCAA Tournament appearance, repeated postseason berths, regional recognition, and a consistent record of competitive success. Now in her 14th season at the helm of the Engineers, Riley-Schafer brings an 127-74-35 (.612) into the 2026 campaign.
The breakthrough came in 2016. WPI established a new program record for victories during the regular season, earned a share of the NEWMAC regular-season championship, and secured the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament. The Engineers then defeated Springfield in double overtime in the semifinal before defeating MIT, 3-1, to capture the first NEWMAC Tournament Championship in WPI Women’s Soccer history and the conference’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament. WPI improved to 16-2-2 with the championship victory. Riley-Schafer and her staff were recognized as the 2016 NSCAA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year, and she was named 2016 NEWMAC Coach of the Year.Â
Rather than being an isolated season, 2016 helped establish a period of sustained success. In 2018, WPI reached double-digit victories for the fourth consecutive season, with WPI Athletics noting that it was the fifth time in six seasons under Riley-Schafer that the Engineers had reached 10 wins.Â
The Engineers again emerged as a conference championship contender in 2019. WPI advanced through the NEWMAC Tournament to reach its second conference championship match in four seasons. A 4-0 semifinal victory over Babson gave the Engineers their 16th win, matching the then-program record established by the 2016 championship team. WPI finished the campaign 16-5-1 after facing nationally ranked MIT in the NEWMAC championship game.Â
Following the canceled 2020 competitive season, Riley-Schafer led WPI back into regional and conference contention in 2021. The Engineers finished 11-6-3, marking a sixth consecutive competitive season with at least 10 victories, and advanced to the NEWMAC semifinals after defeating Babson in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals. WPI was ranked fourth in NCAA Division III Region II during its postseason run. The season also included 10 team shutouts and a 0.92 goals-against average, and Riley-Schafer earned her second NEWMAC Coach of the Year award alongside Co-Head Coach, Sue Silva.Â
The program returned to the NEWMAC championship stage in 2024, producing one of its strongest postseason runs under Riley-Schafer. Entering the tournament as the No. 7 seed, WPI went on the road and avenged regular-season losses against second-seeded Springfield and sixth-seeded Emerson. A 1-0 semifinal victory at Emerson, secured by Maeve Steckley’s 22nd-minute goal, sent the Engineers into the NEWMAC Championship match for the third time in program history, joining the 2016 and 2019 teams. WPI finished the 2024 campaign 10-7-4 overall and 5-4-2 in NEWMAC play.
A major career milestone came on September 1, 2023, when WPI opened the season with a 7-1 victory over Salem State, giving Riley-Schafer her 100th career victory as the Engineers’ head coach.
In 2025, WPI again made a deep postseason run. The sixth-seeded Engineers went on the road and defeated third-seeded Emerson, 2-1, in the NEWMAC quarterfinals, advancing to the conference semifinals for the fifth time in nine competitive seasons. WPI concluded the season 11-7-3 overall and 5-4-2 in NEWMAC play after a 3-2 semifinal loss at Springfield. Three Engineers, Jess English, Sera Brunner and Maeve Steckley, subsequently earned United Soccer Coaches All-Region II recognition.
Beyond the results, Riley-Schafer’s tenure has been marked by a strong relationship between the program and its community. In September 2025, WPI’s match against Clarkson was dedicated in support of its head coach, with the Engineers wearing blue during pregame and blue ribbons distributed to spectators as part of an effort encouraging regular medical screenings for colorectal cancer. WPI responded with a 2-0 victory in front of a Family Weekend crowd of 500.
Across the 2014-2025 period, Riley-Schafer’s WPI teams developed into a consistent presence in the NEWMAC postseason, reached multiple conference championship games, captured the program’s historic first NEWMAC title and NCAA Tournament berth, produced nationally and regionally recognized student-athletes, and established a sustained standard of competitive and academic achievement.
A native of the Philadelphia area, Riley-Schafer played collegiately at Division I Temple University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in sports and recreation management with a minor in business. In 2013, she graduated from Wagner with her master's in secondary education with a social studies concentration.
Career highlights
- 2016 NEWMAC Tournament Champion, the first in WPI Women’s Soccer history
- 2016 NEWMAC regular-season co-champion and No. 1 tournament seed
- 2016 NCAA Division III Tournament berth
- 2016 NSCAA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year
- 2016 and 2021 NEWMAC Coach of the Year [
- 2019, 2024 NEWMAC Championship finalist
- Six consecutive competitive seasons of 10 or more victories through 2021
- 100th career victory at WPI in 2023Â
- 2025 NEWMAC semifinalist, finishing 11-7-3
