In her 15 seasons on the bench, RIT head coach Liz Masterson has continued to build the women’s soccer program into one of the best in the Northeast region. Masterson guided the Tigers to an 8-6-4 record in 2024, including a 4-3-2 mark in Liberty League play and a seventh consecutive appearance in the Liberty League Tournament.
Masterson, the 2012 Liberty League Coach of the Year, owns a 140-79-42 (.623) overall record in her 13 seasons at RIT. She became the all-time winningest coach in program history with a 3-0 win over Rensselaer on Oct. 15, 2021, surpassing Tom Natale’s 106 wins from 1996–2009.
Under Masterson’s leadership, the Tigers have made five NCAA Division III Tournament appearances (2011, 2012, 2018, 2022, and 2023) and 12 Liberty League Tournament appearances (2011–15, 2017–19, and 2021–24).
In 2024, five Tigers earned All-Liberty League honors. Senior Olivia Harris and junior Elena Onodera were named to the first team, while senior Rachel Marriott and junior Amber Flynn earned second team honors. First-year midfielder Ava Russo was named to the honorable mention list. Onodera and Harris were also named to the United Soccer Coaches All-East Region team.
Sixteen Tigers were named to the Liberty League All-Academic Team for maintaining a GPA of 3.3 or higher. The team once again earned the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for maintaining a team GPA above 3.0.
Masterson came to RIT after two seasons as head coach at Elmira College, where she helped the Soaring Eagles earn NSCAA All-Academic Team honors in 2008 and 2009. Four players earned All-Empire 8 honors during her tenure.
A 2005 graduate of St. Lawrence University, Masterson was a four-year starter and captain in 2004. She earned NSCAA First Team All-American honors in 2003 and was a four-time First Team All-Liberty League selection. She scored 20 goals and added 15 assists in her collegiate career.
Masterson earned a master’s degree in sport business management from Manhattanville College in 2008, where she also served as an assistant coach. She holds a U.S. Soccer Federation “Senior-A” License and an advanced diploma from the NSCAA.
She played one season with the Massachusetts Stingers (WPSL) and three with the Rochester Rhinos (W-League), where she was a three-year captain and the club’s all-time leader in games played.
A native of Steamboat Springs, Colo., Masterson resides in Rochester with her husband, Evan Schutt, their daughter Harper, and son Kai.
