Vermont Green FC will make their 2026 USL W League debut away at Hartford Athletic on Tuesday May 19 at 7pm. It will be a showdown between two of the newest teams on the women’s pre-professional scene, each looking to start their season—and write the first page of their history—on the right foot.
It will be the first of three scheduled meetings between the clubs in 2026, with return fixtures in Burlington on June 12 and June 22.
HARTFORD IN FOCUS
In May 2025, Hartford Athletic announced plans to form a women’s side to play in the USLW.
“Adding a USL W League team is a transformative step in Hartford Athletic’s vision to provide development pathways for all players throughout Connecticut,” said Athletic chairman Bruce Mandell in a statement to the Hartford Courant.
Their first two player signings came in January of this year, with both players hailing from storied collegiate programs. Juliana Garcia is a rising senior at Northeastern University, and in her three years with the team, Garcia has made 31 appearances and scored one goal. Taylor Jenkins, a rising junior, recently transferred to University of Southern California after two successful seasons with the University of Connecticut. As a Husky, she played in 31 matches and scored 3 goals, two of which were game-winners that sent her team to the Big East Tournament semifinal and the second round of the NCAA tournament.
EAGLES IN GREEN
With only a handful of training sessions under their belt, the Women in Green will need to rely on previous on-field relationships and their coaching staff to find their footing against the Athletic.
“The staff is very pleased with how the group came in. A short run up with a new group is a unique challenge, but the players have demonstrated quality, curiosity and competitiveness in everything we have done. We couldn’t ask for more!” said Head Coach Abby Carchio. “We are excited to compete against a great side come the match on Tuesday. We will look to lay the foundation for our identity and continue to build as a problem-solving collective.”
Five players on the roster hail from Boston College, the alma mater of Vermont Green Sporting Director, Adam Pfeifer. This quintet of Eagles will play a key role in shaping the foundation Carchio is looking to build with the Green in their first match.
#1 Olivia Shippee anchored the defensive unit for the Eagles in her redshirt sophomore season. She started all 18 matches in goal, totaling 1,583 minutes and recording 77 saves with a 84.6% save percentage.
#21 Georgina Clarke, a rising junior midfielder for the Eagles, joined Shippee in starting all 18 matches last season. She recorded one goal and one assist, and posted 15 shots on goal.
#4 Emily Mara, the sophomore forward out of Winchester, MA, started all 17 matches she appeared in last season. Her on-field contributions include three goals and one assist for seven points, as well as 31 shots with 18 on frame.
#20 Tess Barrett played in 17 matches in her freshman season, alongside fellow midfielder Georgina Clarke. Barrett recorded one assist and 17 total shots, with five on goal.
#66 Annie Gnidula returns to her home state of Connecticut for the Green’s opening match against the Hartford Athletic. Before transferring to BC, she played her freshman season as a forward for the University of Texas.
WATCH THE MATCH
The match will be streamed on SportsEngine Play. For those headed to Trinity Health Stadium, a gorgeous 5,500-seat venue just outside downtown Hartford, cheer loud and proud for our Women in Green!