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What 2 Watch 4
- The fifth and final week of non-conference action is here around The Big West, with the league proudly sporting two of 32 unbeaten teams nationally.
Cal Poly (2-0-6) and Cal State Fullerton (4-0-1) have yet to suffer a loss so far in 2025. The league’s trio of Cal State Bakersfield (3-4), UC Santa Barbara (5-1-1), and the Titans are riding three-plus match-winning streaks. CSUB has captured its three wins of the season sequentially, while CSF and defending conference champion UCSB have found their stride, winning four straight contests.
A total of 14 matches are set to air live on ESPN+ this week. Please check the listings here to watch your favorite Big West squad in action!
2025 Big West Women's Soccer Schedule
Pull Up to the Pitch
Cal Poly (2-0-6) — The Mustangs extended their unbeaten start with a commanding 3-1 victory at San Jose State on Thursday night. Annika Smith, Jessie Halladay, and Madelyn Dougherty each tallied goals to secure the Mustangs’ second straight win and seventh consecutive result without a loss. Cal Poly followed with its third clean sheet of the year in a scoreless draw against Cal on Sunday, pushing the program’s streak to eight matches unbeaten. The Mustangs (2-0-6) now own their longest run without a loss since 2009 and continue to build on one of the strongest starts in program history.
Cal State Bakersfield (3-4) — CSUB has surged to three straight victories, capping a tough four-match road stretch with momentum. The Roadrunners have scored 11 goals across that span, the second-most in a three-game stretch in the program’s Division I era. CSUB highlighted the run with a road win over Boise State, a team that went 10-0-0 at home last season. Mya Fortun has anchored the defense, playing every minute of the season so far.
Cal State Fullerton (4-0-1) — The Titans remain unbeaten after earning their fourth straight win, a 3-0 shutout at LMU on Saturday night. CSF has allowed just one goal through its first five matches, marking the best defensive start in program history. This is the third time under head coach Demian Brown that Cal State Fullerton has gone unbeaten through five games, joining strong starts in 2015 and 2017. The Titans are also one of just 32 teams nationally yet to suffer a loss this season.
CSUN (1-4-1) — CSUN shined in a 4-0 road victory at Portland State, with four different Matadors finding the net. Cailey Jackson scored for the third straight match, while Jordyn Canister added her second of the year. Yasmin Azar and Jo Valdez each tallied their first career goals to cap the dominant win. The Matadors (2-3-2) closed the weekend with a hard-fought 1-0 setback at Portland, highlighted by five saves from senior goalkeeper Riley Liebsack.
Hawai’i (2-4-2) — The Rainbow Wahine recorded a strong 2-0 road win at Sacramento State behind a pair of second-half goals. Tatum Porter fueled the attack with a goal and an assist, giving the junior seven points over the last three matches, while the back line and goalkeepers Kennedy Justin and Brianna Chirpich combined for the team’s second clean sheet of the season. UH closed its Northern California trip with a 0-3 setback at Saint Mary’s.
Long Beach State (2-4) — LBSU logged its best performance of the season with a 6-0 rout of Nevada in its return home. Kailey Supa led the charge with a brace as the Beach tied the program record for both goals scored and margin of victory, matching its highest goal total in a game since 2018. Long Beach State dominated possession and outshot Nevada 13-2 in the first half alone.
UC Davis (1-3-2) — UCD battled in a narrow 1-0 setback to Saint Mary’s on Thursday night at Aggie Soccer Field. The Aggies nearly equalized in the final seconds, but the potential tying goal was waved off as coming after the horn. Goalkeepers Cat Pieper and Shayna Ross combined for five saves, while Sarah Canavan paced the offense with two shots, including one on target.
UC Irvine (2-1-3) — The Anteaters extended their unbeaten streak to five matches with a scoreless draw against Northern Arizona on Sunday at Anteater Stadium. UCI posted their third straight shutout and third 0-0 result of the season. Savanna Arruda earned the goalkeeper’s first-career clean sheet during the first start since 2023, making a career-high six saves to highlight the defensive stand. UCI has now gone over 328 minutes without conceding a goal.
UC Riverside (0-4-1) — UCR looks ahead to the next two matches on its road trip after falling in two games last week. The Highlanders will face crosstown rival and future Big West foe California Baptist to start its week on Thursday before heading south to San Diego State on Sunday night. Trinity Hale leads all goalkeepers with 265:49 in cage so far in 2025.
UC San Diego (2-2-3) — The Tritons tallied a thrilling 3-2 comeback win at Colorado College on Thursday night, highlighted by Andrea Guillen’s first career goal in the 70th minute. The victory extended the Tritons’ unbeaten streak to five matches (2-1-3) after a wild second half that featured all five goals. UCSD’s run was halted on Sunday in a narrow 2-1 setback at Colorado State, where grad student Natalie Abel scored directly off a corner kick. The Tritons continue to show resilience early in the season.
UC Santa Barbara (5-1-1) — UCSB stretched its unbeaten streak to five with a comeback win over North Dakota on Thursday, rallying for its first victory after trailing at halftime since 2021. The Gauchos outlasted North Dakota with two scores, one from freshman phenom Hayden Halscheid and a clutch penalty kick from Olivia Howard in the 84’. UCSB closed its four-game road trip in style with a decisive win at North Dakota State, finishing with three tallies on the day.
Weekly Highlights
- Jordyn Canister delivered the difference-maker in CSUN’s road win at Portland State on Thursday, striking in the 19th minute on a drive up the left side for the Matadors’ second game-winner of the year. Canister finished the match with four shots, all on target, and added two more attempts in Sunday’s contest at Portland. The junior now leads the Matadors with 22 shots this season while ranking second on the squad in both goals (2) and points (5).
Jessie Halladay powered Cal Poly to a 3-1 road victory at San Jose State, netting the game-winner for the Mustangs and tallying a fourth goal this season, tied for the Big West lead. Halladay followed with a game-high six shots in a scoreless draw against Cal, helping the Mustangs stay unbeaten. Through six matches, the junior has posted four goals and two assists, leading the conference in points (10) and shots per match (4).
Jaiden Gore lifted Cal State Bakersfield in a rivalry clash with Fresno State, scoring a first collegiate goal that stood as the game-winner. The redshirt freshman broke through the defense and delivered a left-footed strike into the upper corner to put the Roadrunners ahead 2-1. Gore’s spark ignited the offense as CSUB rolled to a commanding 4-1 victory over the Bulldogs.
Radisson Banks spearheaded Long Beach State’s offense in a dominant showing against Nevada, contributing to four of the team’s record-tying six goals. The junior transfer set up Cherrie Cox for the opener, assisted on the second, scored the fourth herself, and added another assist on the fifth before exiting with a commanding lead. Banks totaled five shots on goal and extended the team lead in points with four for the match, highlighting LBSU’s potent attack in their only action of the week.
Weekly Awards
- UC Santa Barbara’s Olivia Howard scored three times this weekend, twice in game-winning fashion, to be honored as The Big West Offensive Player of the Week. This is the second weekly distinction of Howard’s career after earning Freshman of the Week on Aug. 21, 2023. Howard delivered an 84th-minute penalty kick to lift UCSB to a 2-1 win over North Dakota, which entered the match ranked in the top 25 nationally in goals per game. From there, the junior opened the scoring in a 3-0 victory at North Dakota State, netting the first of three Gaucho goals on the afternoon to help the team go undefeated on the road trip. Howard is now tied for second-most goals in The Big West with three, aiding UCSB to a 5-1-1 record behind a four-match winning streak.
Cal Poly’s Shannon Porubski recorded a shutout, an assist, and allowed just one goal across two starts to claim The Big West Defensive Player of the Week. This is the second weekly distinction of Porubski’s career after earning Freshman of the Week last week (Sept. 1, 2025). Porubski secured the freshman's second career clean sheet in a scoreless draw with Cal, making two saves while facing 12 shots in net. The Rocklin, Calif. native recorded three more saves in a 3-1 victory at San Jose State, while also recording freshman's first collegiate point with an assist in the 26th minute. Through three starts, Porubski holds a 2-0-1 record alongside a 0.33 goals against average and a .909 save percentage to help keep the Mustangs unbeaten (2-0-6).
Big West Freshman of the Week Natalie Sheffey’s performance was one of a few firsts that helped UC Santa Barbara sweep its road trip. This is the first distinction of Sheffey's career. Sheffey set up the Gauchos’ second goal against North Dakota State, providing the assist in the 3-0 victory. The forward later found the back of the net in the 79th minute to secure the first collegiate goal of the freshman's career. UCSB is now riding a four-match winning streak alongside a 5-1-1 record after winning its matches over North Dakota and North Dakota State this weekend.
All-Time Big West Players of the Week
New Faces of The Big West
- The Big West welcomes a new crop of leaders around the conference during the 2025-26 season. A trio of programs has welcomed new head coaches with Cal State Bakersfield, UC Davis, and UC Riverside, while Cal Poly kept its hire within the league.
The Roadrunners welcome Whitney Pitalo, who most recently served as the First Assistant Coach at Boston College, aiding the Eagles to a 12-5-2 overall record and the team's best finish in the American Coastal Conference (ACC) since 2018. CSUB earned its first pair of victories in the Big West Championship last season, before being narrowly edged in the Final in penalty kicks.
Kat Mertz joins the Aggies after orchestrating a program-changing run as head coach at NCAA Division II MSU Denver, posting a 39-20-19 overall record and a 28-12-8 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) action over four seasons. UCD capped off 2024 with the best regular season record in the league at 13-5-2 and earned the No. 2 seed in the Championship behind a 6-2-2 performance in conference play.
Mike Dibbini will now be the new manager of the Highlander. Dibbini brings nearly two decades of collegiate head coaching experience to UC Riverside, boasting a career record of 303-176-52 (.619). Most recently, he built Kansas State University's women's soccer program from the ground up, leading the Wildcats since their 2016 debut and steering them to multiple milestones, including a Big 12 Championship appearance in 2022.
Bernardo Silva will now take the reins at Cal Poly, succeeding Alex Crozier, who led the Mustangs since the program's inception in 1991. After leading CSUB for two seasons, he set multiple Big West program records and guided the Roadrunners to their best conference finish in history. A former Mustang assistant (2013-16), Silva compiled an 11-20-9 overall record and 6-8-6 Big West mark while coaching the 'Runners.
2025 USCA Division I Players to Watch
- A total of four standout Big West student athletes have been chosen to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women's Players to Watch list.
The listings are compiled and released by the Division I All-America Committees to promote college soccer leading up to the official start date for the regular season later this month. Honorees include United Soccer Coaches All-Americans and All-Region players from 2024 who are scheduled to return for the 2025 season.
| Isabella Cruz |
Senior |
Midfielder |
Cal State Fullerton |
| Nalani Damacion |
Sophomore |
Midfielder |
Hawai'i |
| Genavieve Fontes |
R-Senior |
Midfielder |
UC Davis |
| Kennedy Justin |
Sophomore |
Goalkeeper |
Hawai'i |
Superwoman
Isabella Cruz of Cal State Fullerton has been selected as one of The Big West's pair of 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year conference nominees.
Each year, NCAA member schools nominate graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves on and off the field of play. From there, the NCAA Woman of the Year selection process narrows the pool to the Top 30 honorees—10 from each division—before selecting three finalists from each division. The award recipient is chosen by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics and honored at the NCAA Convention.
A second-generation Latina and standout student-athlete, Cruz has exemplified excellence both on and off the field. She completed her bachelor's degree in communications in just 2.5 years, graduating summa cum laude with a 3.9 GPA, and is currently pursuing a master's degree in professional communications while competing in her final season of NCAA eligibility. As a team captain for the CSUF women's soccer program, she has led with integrity, building a team culture centered on inclusivity, support, and growth.
Beyond athletics, she serves as her team's representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), advocating for the student-athlete experience across campus. Her commitment to service is evident through her volunteer work with Football for Her, campus engagement efforts like promoting voter participation, and community-driven initiatives such as food drives and holiday gift collections.
In addition to her academic and service contributions, Cruz has gained hands-on experience in sports marketing as an intern with Orange County Soccer Club, and currently serves as the social media manager for Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), using digital storytelling to foster connection and purpose.
Jenika Davis Final Cancer Update
Tune in above for a feature from UC Irvine Athletics with women’s soccer student-athlete Jenika Davis to talk about the senior's battle and victory against Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), return to the pitch, special events, and more. UC Irvine's match against Washington served as this year’s Cancer Awareness Game, and Anteater Nation joined the fight against cancer and cheered the team to a scoreless draw.
Read more about Jenika Davis through the CalHope Courage award here.
International Action
- Cal State Bakersfield senior Catalina Roggerone has once again been called up to the Argentina Women's National Team, making the midfielder's second appearance in 2025. The Mendoza, Argentina native helped the squad reach the semifinals and secure a podium finish, placing third overall in a major international tournament.
Preseason Prognostics
-Hawai'i has been selected as the preseason favorite to capture the 2025 Big West women's soccer title, as voted on by the league's 11 head coaches. Four teams received at least one first-place vote on the preseason poll.
The Rainbow Wahine, who finished 12-8-1 overall with an 8-1-1 record in conference play last season, earned 88 points and six first-place votes to claim the top spot after earning their first-ever Big West regular-season championship.
Defending tournament champion UC Santa Barbara (8-6-9, 4-2-4 BW) ranks second with 84 points and three first-place selections, followed closely by UC Irvine (6-7-6, 4-2-4 BW) with 81 points and one first-place nod. Long Beach State (6-9-3, 3-5-2 BW) collected 74 points and a first-place vote to land in fourth, while Cal State Fullerton sits just behind in fifth at 73 points.
Cal Poly (5-11-3, 3-6-1) finished sixth in the voting at 53 points, followed by UC San Diego (3-12-4, 1-6-3 BQ) in seventh with 42 points, and UC Davis's (13-5-2, 6-2-2 BW) 37 points placed the Aggies in eighth. Cal State Bakersfield (8-10-5, 4-3-3 BW) and CSUN (5-11-3, 3-4-3 BW) are knotted at No. 9 with 27 points as UC Riverside (2-13-4, 0-6-4 BW) rounds out the 2025 preseason coaches' poll.
Coaches also voted on an 11-member Preseason All-Big West Team featuring standout student-athletes from across the conference. Cal State Fullerton and Hawai'i led the way with both squads having a pair of representatives on the team.
The Big West unveiled its 11-member Preseason All-Conference Team, as voted on by league head coaches. The list features top returning talent from across the conference, with Cal State Fullerton and Hawai'i leading all programs with two selections each.
Representing the Titans are forward Isabella Cruz and defender Kaylin Raibon, who finished second and third in team scoring last season.
Preseason favorite Hawai'i places midfielder Nalani Damacion, the 2024 Big West Midfielder of the Year, and forward Amber Gilbert on the squad. Last season, Damacion notched seven goals, including five game-winners, while Gilbert was a consistent threat up top in 17 starts.
The preseason list also includes Cal State Bakersfield's standout goalkeeper Kamy Anaya, who helped lead the Roadrunners to their first Big West Final in program history with a .770 save percentage. Long Beach State forward Cherrie Cox returns to the pitch after claiming the 2023 Big West Offensive Player of the Year accolade behind a 13-goal campaign.
UC Davis forward Genavieve Fontes, the league's top scorer last season with 11 goals, earns a spot alongside UC Santa Barbara's forward Devin Greer, who tallied 10 goals en route to 2024 Freshman of the Year honors.
Jessie Halladay led the Mustangs as a forward with 11 points in 2024, while Mihaela Perez of UC Irvine helped anchor a defense that recorded five clean sheets in 19 starts. Midfielder Yoshi Rubalcava rounds out the 2025 preseason team as CSUN's representative after posting career-highs in both goals (5) and points (12) a year ago.
The 2025 Big West Women's Soccer Championship is set to begin on Sunday, Nov. 2, with first-round matches hosted by the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, who will face the No. 6 and No. 5 seeds, respectively. From there, our semifinals and the title match will take place at the home venue of the 2025 regular-season champion and No. 1 seed. Semifinal action is slated for Thursday, Nov. 6, with the Championship Final set for Sunday, Nov. 9. The winner will earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship.
Action across The Big West kicks off this Thursday, Aug. 14, while league play commences Thursday, Sept. 18, with four matches on the docket, kicking off a seven-week slate. Each side will play five home matches and have three bye dates throughout the Thursday-Sunday rotation, which concludes on Oct. 30.
2024 Postseason Rewind
- No. 3 seed UC Santa Barbara opened its postseason run with a 2-1 win over No. 6 seed Cal State Fullerton. Freshman standout Devin Greer led the way with a goal and an assist, including the game-winner in the 73rd minute.
In the later first-round match, No. 5 seed Cal State Bakersfield made history in their Big West Championship debut, upsetting three-time defending champion and No. 4 seed UC Irvine 1-0 behind Kamy Anaya's eight-save shutout and Isis Salazar-Ortega's 44th-minute strike.
The semifinals at Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium in O'ahu, brought more drama. UCSB edged No. 2 seed UC Davis 3-2 in double overtime thanks to Greer's penalty kick to reach the title match for the first time since 2018, while CSUB stunned top-seeded and regular-season champion Hawai'i, 3-0, to reach their first-ever Big West Championship final in any sport, still without allowing a postseason goal.
In the Championship final, UCSB and CSUB battled to a stalemate before the Gauchos prevailed 8-7 in a penalty shootout to claim their third Big West title, all won via PKs. The victory sent UCSB to its 10th NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship appearance.
From The Big West to the Big Leagues
- In January 2022, Long Beach State forward Lena Silano was selected 34th overall by the Washington Spirit in the third round of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Draft.
Silano was the second straight player from the Beach to be drafted and is the fourth overall Big West student-athlete to hear their name called in the NWSL Draft. Former teammate, Kaitlin Fregulia, and 2x Big West Defensive Player of the Year (2017, 2021) was selected 12th overall to the North Carolina Courage as the highest draft pick in Big West Women's Soccer history.
Silano won the 2022 Big West Offensive Player of the Year Award and has been an All-Big West selection twice (2021, 2022). The forward was also a member of the 2022 United Soccer Coaches All-West Region First Team.
Two months later, another alum of the Big West would have an opportunity to play in the NWSL as UC Irvine alum Scarlett Camberos was signed by Angel City FC (LA), marking her return to Southern California after spending time at Club América Femenil. The former Anteater scored 13 goals and notched seven assists during her senior season.
Another monumental moment for the conference occurred during the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, while Quinley Quezada represented UC Riverside and the Big West on the biggest stage while playing for the Philippines. The squad suffered a 2-0 defeat versus Switzerland in the first group stage before winning its first-ever World Cup match against New Zealand, 1-0 on July 25, 2023. However, the Philippines fell in its final group match to Norway, 6-0.
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