The last time the Stony Brook women’s soccer team made it to the NCAA Tournament in a non-COVID-shortened campaign, forward Alyssa Francese — widely recognized as one of the program’s greatest ever players — reached the double-digit goal mark.
Five years later, the Seawolves are returning to the national tournament as part of a full season for the first time since 2019. Although Francese is long gone, the team has, once again, relied on a high-octane weapon to spearhead its attack with at least 10 goals; this time, it is forward Luciana Setteducate.
After two collegiate seasons of solid production — although she fell short of her own expectations as a sophomore — Setteducate broke out in 2024. In 20 appearances thus far — starting all but one — Setteducate has scored 11 goals and registered eight assists; both figures rank second in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA). Her exceptional performance throughout the year earned Setteducate a spot on the 2024 All-CAA First Team.
“Coming into the season, I had big expectations for myself,” Setteducate said in an interview with The Statesman. “I wanted to produce, I wanted to be a powerhouse for my team. Now that the season is almost done, I can’t think of a better way it could’ve gone.”
Setteducate played a pivotal role in what is currently the best statistical campaign in Stony Brook’s history, as its .775 win percentage — compiled from a 14-3-3 overall record — would be the program’s highest mark ever.
Additionally, the Seawolves concluded the regular season with a 7-1-2 conference record, which secured them a share of the league’s regular-season title. After a commanding victory over Elon in the CAA’s semifinal, Stony Brook advanced to play fellow regular-season champion Monmouth. With the conference championship and a trip to the national tournament on the line, Setteducate proved that on top of being an exceptional player, she possesses the clutch gene too.
In the most defining match of her soccer career up to that point, and with the Seawolves with their backs against the wall early, Setteducate ignited the team. What began as a brilliant individual run — where she shed a trio of defenders — eventually culminated in a well-placed header from Setteducate to open the scoring.
“It did feel really cool,” Setteducate said. “I was really happy [that] I was able to score and get the ball rolling, but I did make a mental note to not celebrate yet because the game was not anywhere close to done.”
In the second half, Setteducate once again made her mark. She provided the assist to midfielder Linn Beck’s goal — a finish equally as impressive as the opener — which ended up serving as the title-winner, as a late tally by the Hawks was not enough for a comeback.
After consecutive first-round exits in the league playoffs in 2022 and 2023 — Setteducate’s first two collegiate years — securing an NCAA Tournament berth is a milestone she can now check off her list.
“I’m extremely excited,” Setteducate said. “I remember last year when Towson won, and their first game was [University of North Carolina], we were watching the game and I was sitting there, really jealous of them. In my four years playing, I wanted so badly to get an opportunity. So now, the fact that we’re here, able to play a game in the Tournament, I’m super excited for that experience.”
If Setteducate manages to find the back of the net in a national tournament match, it would further enhance her already impressive goalscoring resume, which, alongside the aforementioned stages, most notably includes goals with the Long Island Rough Riders of the pre-professional USL W League (USLW).
Before Stony Brook’s 2024 campaign kicked off, Setteducate was already marked as a potential standout. While her five goals and seven assists from the previous two seasons marked her as a potential key contributor, it was Setteducate’s offseason stint with the Rough Riders that truly elevated her status and positioned her as a player poised to make a major impact.
In just 12 USLW appearances, Setteducate racked up 18 goals — an astounding 1.5 goals per game — and claimed the league’s Golden Boot as the top scorer.
“That was huge for me,” Setteducate said. “After the season I had my sophomore year scoring two goals in all the games, I really needed a change. Being able to get that Golden Boot reminded me that I can score goals and I just have to work harder for it. Coming into this season with that helped me a lot. It gave me greater confidence.”
Although Setteducate placed fourth among Seawolves players in goal contributions last year with five — made up by two goals and three assists — the high standards she has held herself to since high school, and carried into her freshman season, left her feeling disappointed with her overall performance.
“That season was a little rough,” Setteducate said. “Just in general, but definitely compared to my first season. I remember after my first season, I was like, ‘Okay, good first season, we’ll get it next year.’ And then, for whatever reasons, my sophomore year didn’t go the way I wanted it to. I definitely had better expectations for myself. I’m happy that as a team, we did well. We made it into the playoffs. Other people were able to perform, which was good for our team. [Personally], there were a couple of games where I was feeling down on myself because I felt I wasn’t producing the way that I should be or could be.”
Before Setteducate encountered what she would consider a sophomore slump, her career had been marked by a consistent upward trajectory.
Setteducate’s high school soccer career began before she was even in high school, as she earned a spot on Wellington C. Mepham High School’s varsity team in seventh grade. Despite being at least two years younger than most of her teammates and opponents, she worked her way into the starting lineup in her very first season. From eighth grade through senior year, Setteducate became a mainstay in the Pirates’ starting lineup.
“It was a lot of fun,” Setteducate said. “I was on varsity soccer for six years and it was a great experience. I made so many close friends during that time and I’m still really close with my high school coaches. I liked representing my school. I played club soccer outside of school but being able to play my sport for my school was really cool. Obviously I do that now, which I really like.”
During Setteducate’s high school journey, the NCAA revised its recruiting guidelines, with the most significant change being a rule that prohibited college coaches from contacting prospective student-athletes until the start of their junior season.
“For [a lot of girls and I], it was a stressful process,” Setteducate said. “COVID had a big effect on it, too. My sophomore year was 2020 when it happened, so even when the dead period lifted, there were still no games for [coaches] to watch. Coaches could only see me play from film. Whenever we could start playing, I’d be lucky for them to come to one game and if I didn’t perform that game, I’d screw myself over because there [were not] as many opportunities.”
Despite Setteducate’s recruitment process being anything but smooth, it ultimately led her to Stony Brook and a reunion with head coach Tobias Bischof.
“[Bischof] was my club coach for two years,” Setteducate said. “So I had already known him, and I really liked him. That was definitely a driving factor [for choosing Stony Brook] because he wanted me to come play for Stony Brook.”
While her past relationship with Bischof played a role in her decision, other factors also influenced Setteducate’s choice to become a Seawolf.
“At first, I was thinking of getting off Long Island,” Setteducate said. “I wanted to go somewhere else. But I kind of realized that I liked being closer to home. I knew a few girls that came here, and I knew that the culture of the women’s soccer program was a super positive, family-vibe. Also, Stony Brook is a very good academic school. I also took that into consideration.”
Much like her high school days, Setteducate made an immediate impact in her first year with the Seawolves. In her first collegiate match, Setteducate was already in the starting lineup and went on to make 16 starts in 19 appearances that season. She finished with three goals and four assists.
Two years later, Setteducate will make her NCAA Tournament debut on Saturday, when Stony Brook takes on the No. 22 Penn State Nittany Lions in a First-Round matchup at University Park, Pa. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Kevin Broderick also contributed reporting.
