GAME NOTES
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — The CSUN women’s soccer team begins its 29th season on the road this week. The Matadors travel to California Baptist for the 2024 season opener on Thursday at 7 p.m. before heading to No. 8 Texas Tech on Sunday at 5 p.m. PT/7 p.m. CT. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
NEW ERA IN CSUN WOMEN’S SOCCER
The 2024 season is the first under the new head coach Gina Brewer who brings two decades of coaching experience to CSUN. She is the seventh head coach in CSUN’s nearly three-decade history of women’s soccer. Brewer most recently served as an assistant coach at UCLA last season, where she helped the Bruins to a Pac-12 title and a 16-win season. From 2011-19, Brewer served as head coach at Hawaii Pacific University for nine seasons, amassing 71 wins as the program’s longest-tenured head coach. In her coaching career, she has served on the coaching staffs at Santa Clara, LMU, Hawai’i, Utah State and Idaho.
Kevin Pineda has also joined the Matadors this season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, while Daniel Solli And Michael Armas have returned to the team as assistant coaches.
TEAM AT A GLANCE
CSUN returns 16 key players from last season’s roster, along with three redshirts and seven freshmen. A total of five Matadors started 10 or more games last season and played over 1,000 minutes on the field. CSUN has brought back four players who found the net in 2023, and the team’s starting goaltender also returns. The Matadors have four seniors on the roster in 2024.
Junior captain and goalkeeper Hayden Mauldin returns for her third season with CSUN. Last season, Mauldin started a career-high 18 games in front of goal and was second in the Big West in saves per game (5.22) and third in total saves (94). Mauldin, a two-time Big West Defensive Player of the Week, had three shutouts in 2023.
In defense, senior Angelica Claiborne is CSUN’s best player with over 1,600 minutes played in 18 appearances. An experienced midfielder, Ashley Torres also returns for her final season with CSUN after scoring one goal in 18 games. Other seniors on the team include midfielder Brooklin Woolfwho played 12 games last year, and midfielder Kaylee Gutierrezwho scored one goal in 18 games in her first season at CSUN in 2023.
On the offensive side, junior midfielders and strikers Cassidy Imperial-Pham scored one goal in 18 games played last season and has two goals and seven points in her CSUN career. Yoshi Rubalcava scored her first goal for CSUN last season and played in 18 games. In the defense, CSUN returns Junior Sami Kolin and in the second year of study Paige Califf together with junior midfielders Jackie Victorio, Cailey Jackson And Cami Alarconand midfielder in the second year of study Savannah Estrada And Priyanka Pottekkat. Young striker Sunny Bowlin-Stacy and junior goalkeeper Kennedy Williams complete the list of returning award winners.
After missing the entire season last season, the defender returns to the field in his second year Samantha Healywho last played in 2022, as well as junior goalkeeper Riley Lovebag and freshman striker Jordyn Canister.
MEET THE MATADORS
Brewer has brought in seven newcomers in her first recruiting class at CSUN, including six freshmen.
In defense, Gabriella Sanchez is the team’s only transfer this season. She spent two seasons at Mt. San Antonio College, where she was a teammate of current Matador Kaylee Gutierrez. Sanchez scored six points and two goals to help Mt. SAC win the division championship and finish second in the conference tournament last season. She also won a conference title with Mt. SAC as a freshman in 2021.
Rookie Defender Sydney Lipkin She comes to CSUN from Bothell High School in Washington, where she was an All-State Prep player and played for Seattle United. Michelle Monroy is also a freshman defender who attended Pacifica High School and played club soccer at Eagles SC while also being a freshman defender Ella Witherspoon was an All-State player for Issaquah High School while playing for the club Eastside FC.
In midfield Brianna Lozano graduated from Norte Vista High School and played for Legends FC. Keilani Claiborne was also added to the team as she joins forces with her sister Angelica Claiborne. The younger Claiborne won a CIF San Diego Section title last year with Monte Vista High School and competed for Rebels SC.
Forward Kayden Perigo rounds out the new class. Perigo scored a total of 22 goals at Capital High School last year while playing for Washington Premier FC.
A look at the polls
The Matadors finished 11th in the 2024 Big West Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll. Long Beach State was selected as the conference champion after the conference’s head coaches received six first-place votes.
Boy Scouts California Baptist
CBU finished 11-2-6 overall and had a 6-0-3 record in the WAC last season. After finishing second in the WAC last season, the Lancers were selected to finish fourth in the conference in 2024. CBU has added 16 new players to its 36-man roster this season. Taylor Summit is one of the team’s top returners, as she earned the WAC Preseason Defender of the Year award this season. Other key returners include Jayden Ramirez and Marcella Brooks, who combined for 10 goals last season.
Series history: CSUN and CBU have played each other only once in women’s soccer during the regular season, with the Matadors prevailing 2-1 in Riverside two seasons ago. Ashley Cruz scored the winning goal in the 66th minute.
SCOUTING TEXAS TECH
The Red Raiders finished No. 8 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25. Last season, Texas Tech went 16-2-5 overall and 8-0-2 in the Big 12 as the team advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 round. After winning the Big 12 last season, Texas Tech was selected to finish second in the conference this season. Sam Courtwright, who scored five goals with eight assists in 2023, was named to the Preseason All-America Third Team this season. Along with Courtwright, the trio of Macy Blackburn, Kylie Bahr and Ashleigh Williams were named Preseason All-Big 12. Williams scored 14 goals last season, the most on her team.
Series history: Texas Tech leads the all-time series against CSUN 4-0. The teams last faced off in 2018 in Northridge, with the Red Raiders holding the upper hand 2-0.
#GoMatadors
