A new Reading United women's team took to the field in 2023, playing in the Women’s Premier Soccer League. The core of Reading’s new women's team featured 25 of the 40 players that played either high school or collegiate soccer in Berks County. Ten Berks high schools and two colleges, Kutztown University and Penn State Berks, were represented.
The debut season for the United Women was a smashing success. The women compiled a 7-1-2 record under head coach Tom Gosselin that saw them storm into the WPSL playoffs, finishing the regular season on a seven match unbeaten run. That streak saw the women tally 14 goals while conceding just three goals.
Wyomissing Area alum Rebecca Kotula captained Gosselin’s side and showed why she is a second team All-American at East Stroudsburg University. Kotula found the back of the net eight times for United in 2023, including the club’s first ever WPSL goal in the opening contest against local rivals, PA Classics.
Expansion sides rarely have the success the Reading United women had in 2023. United rode their seven victories to a berth in the WPSL playoffs in their debut season. In the opening round of the playoffs, Abby Doyle’s thrilling goal in an overtime victory over Fever SC helped Reading claim the Mid-Atlantic Conference crown and a place in the WPSL Eastern Regional Championship playoffs. Though they fought valiantly, the United women fell to the eventual Eastern Region champions, the Rhode Island Rogues.
Looking towards the 2024 season, Gosselin said, “Next year I am optimistic we can grow even more with the inaugural season under our collective belts. We all learned so much and the team handled all speed bumps with the mentality of winners. Everything achieved was a collective effort of ownership, staff, players and fans.”