Joni Connelly Raymundo - 2002 Hall of Fame Inductee

Connelly Raymundo was one of the pioneers of the women's soccer program, which began varsity play in 1987. Mercyhurst got its first win over Bethany College 4-2, tied Gannon 0-0, and upset nationally ranked Geneva 2-1 in its maiden voyage and finished with a very respectable 6-7-2 mark. The Lakers made it all the way to the NCAA playoffs in a year later, reaching the Final Four. Her first coach and current dean of the college, Dr. Andy Roth, called her "the heart and soul of that 1988 team and the most intense player I have ever coached." The Lakers made it to the ECAC playoffs in 1989. All told, Joni's teams finished a combined 54-15-5 in her four seasons. The 1988 team was ranked ninth nationally and the 1990 team was seventh. Joni ended her career with 31 goals and 19 assists for 81 points. She made the All-Northeast Region Team in 1988, 1989, and 1990, was chosen Honorable Mention All-American in 1988 and made the NCAA All Tournament team that same year.

Joni graduated with a degree in Hotel Restaurant Institutional Management in 1990 and is married to Mercyhurst alum (1991) Raul Raymundo. She is currently employed as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative for Takeda while Raul is a Claims Adjuster for Erie Insurance. The couple has three children: Erika, Joshua, and Noah. The family resides in Cranberry Twp, Pa. Connelly Raymundo became the second women's soccer player in the Hall of Fame, joining teammate Veronica Sansom.