Thursday, August 7
Northridge, Calif.
7:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
vs
Trinity Western University
Photo by: Chuck Marvel
CSUN Women's Soccer Returns to the Pitch in Exhibition vs. Trinity Western
8/5/2025 2:47:00 PM | Women's Soccer
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Women's Soccer takes the field for the first time this fall when it hosts Trinity Western University in an exhibition match on Thursday at Matador Soccer Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and fans receive free admission for the contest.Â
CSUN will play just one exhibition match this season before opening its 30th season of women's soccer on Thursday, Aug. 14 at Saint Mary's.Â
TEAM OUTLOOK
The Matadors are set to play their second season under head coach Gina Brewer in 2025. A total of 16 past letterwinners return to the team along with two redshirts. CSUN has added 13 newcomers to the roster including three Division I transfers and 10 true freshmen.Â
CSUN has returned three All-Big West honorees in Yoshi Rubalcava, Cailey Jackson and Paige Califf in 2025. Rubalcava, a senior midfielder, led the Matadors in the goal department with a career-high five, good enough for seventh-best in the Big West. She also totaled a team-high 12 points to go with 29 shots in 19 matches. Jackson, a senior forward, would tally a personal-best four goals last season while adding two assists and a team-high 35 shots with 19 on goal. A junior defender, Califf started all 19 matches on defense in 2024, totaling an assist and 20 total shots.Â
Other key returners include senior goalkeeper Riley Liebsack, who ranked second in the Big West and 26th in the nation with 100 saves to go with three shutouts and a 1.47 goals-against-average last season. Senior defender Sami Kolin also returns after playing the third-most minutes on the team (1,641) while sophomore Sydney Lipkin and junior Samantha Healy bring CSUN more defensive experience.Â
On the offensive end, sophomore Kayden Perigo enters her second year with the team after scoring two goals with one assist in earning Big West All-Freshman Team honors. Another sophomore, Jordyn Canister looks to build on a freshman season where she had one goal and one assist in a reserve role. Senior midfielder Cassidy Imperial-Pham has scored three goals in her CSUN career including one last season while senior midfielder Jackie Victorio also hit the net last season. Other returners include senior Cami Alarcon, junior Savannah Estrada and sophomore Keilani Claiborne along with junior goalkeepers Hayden Mauldin and Kennedy Williams and returning redshirts Ella Witherspoon and Michelle Monroy.Â
The trio of Yasmin Azar, Siena Navarra and Ireland Regan each join the Matadors from Division I teams. Azar, a forward from Coastal Carolina, played in 13 matches as a freshman last season and totaled one assist and four shots. Navarra stayed in the Big West after transferring from Long Beach State where she played in 12 matches on defense and produced three shots. Regan, a defender, used a redshirt in her freshman season at Northwestern State.Â
Among the 10 freshmen on the roster, nine come from California high schools. Added to the team are forwards Jo Valdez (Mission Vista Academy/So Cal Blues) and Ariah Velazquez (Northfield HS - Colo./Real Colorado), midfielders Zaina Barakat (Moorpark HS/LAFC So Cal), Ariana Lopez-Angel (Ouchi HS/LA Breakers), Lia Peterson (El Capitan HS/Legends San Diego) and Alena Ramirez (Bonita Vista HS/San Diego Soccer Club), defenders Jordyn Sobczak (Ramona HS/SDSC Surf) and Alex Valente (Long Beach Poly HS/So Cal Blues), and goalkeeper Isabella Andrino (Notre Dame HS/LA Surf).Â
A LOOK BACK AT 2024
After they were picked to finish last in the Big West prior to the year, the Matadors played for a postseason spot until the final day of the 2024 regular season. The Matadors would finish one game out of a playoff spot while showing significant progress in head coach Gina Brewer's first season at the helm. CSUN improved its win total by four games from the previous season, finishing with a 5-11-3 overall record and a 3-4-3 Big West mark. Overall, the Matadors posted their most wins, conference wins, conference points (12), goals allowed (28) and best save percentage (.876) since the 2019 season. Â
ABOUT TRINITY WESTERN
The Spartans compete in the Canada West conference in Langley, B.C., Canada. Trinity Western finished with 12-9-7 record last fall with a bronze medal in the Canada West along with a sixth-place finish in the U Sports Championship (Canada's national championship).
#GoMatadors
Â
CSUN will play just one exhibition match this season before opening its 30th season of women's soccer on Thursday, Aug. 14 at Saint Mary's.Â
TEAM OUTLOOK
The Matadors are set to play their second season under head coach Gina Brewer in 2025. A total of 16 past letterwinners return to the team along with two redshirts. CSUN has added 13 newcomers to the roster including three Division I transfers and 10 true freshmen.Â
CSUN has returned three All-Big West honorees in Yoshi Rubalcava, Cailey Jackson and Paige Califf in 2025. Rubalcava, a senior midfielder, led the Matadors in the goal department with a career-high five, good enough for seventh-best in the Big West. She also totaled a team-high 12 points to go with 29 shots in 19 matches. Jackson, a senior forward, would tally a personal-best four goals last season while adding two assists and a team-high 35 shots with 19 on goal. A junior defender, Califf started all 19 matches on defense in 2024, totaling an assist and 20 total shots.Â
Other key returners include senior goalkeeper Riley Liebsack, who ranked second in the Big West and 26th in the nation with 100 saves to go with three shutouts and a 1.47 goals-against-average last season. Senior defender Sami Kolin also returns after playing the third-most minutes on the team (1,641) while sophomore Sydney Lipkin and junior Samantha Healy bring CSUN more defensive experience.Â
On the offensive end, sophomore Kayden Perigo enters her second year with the team after scoring two goals with one assist in earning Big West All-Freshman Team honors. Another sophomore, Jordyn Canister looks to build on a freshman season where she had one goal and one assist in a reserve role. Senior midfielder Cassidy Imperial-Pham has scored three goals in her CSUN career including one last season while senior midfielder Jackie Victorio also hit the net last season. Other returners include senior Cami Alarcon, junior Savannah Estrada and sophomore Keilani Claiborne along with junior goalkeepers Hayden Mauldin and Kennedy Williams and returning redshirts Ella Witherspoon and Michelle Monroy.Â
The trio of Yasmin Azar, Siena Navarra and Ireland Regan each join the Matadors from Division I teams. Azar, a forward from Coastal Carolina, played in 13 matches as a freshman last season and totaled one assist and four shots. Navarra stayed in the Big West after transferring from Long Beach State where she played in 12 matches on defense and produced three shots. Regan, a defender, used a redshirt in her freshman season at Northwestern State.Â
Among the 10 freshmen on the roster, nine come from California high schools. Added to the team are forwards Jo Valdez (Mission Vista Academy/So Cal Blues) and Ariah Velazquez (Northfield HS - Colo./Real Colorado), midfielders Zaina Barakat (Moorpark HS/LAFC So Cal), Ariana Lopez-Angel (Ouchi HS/LA Breakers), Lia Peterson (El Capitan HS/Legends San Diego) and Alena Ramirez (Bonita Vista HS/San Diego Soccer Club), defenders Jordyn Sobczak (Ramona HS/SDSC Surf) and Alex Valente (Long Beach Poly HS/So Cal Blues), and goalkeeper Isabella Andrino (Notre Dame HS/LA Surf).Â
A LOOK BACK AT 2024
After they were picked to finish last in the Big West prior to the year, the Matadors played for a postseason spot until the final day of the 2024 regular season. The Matadors would finish one game out of a playoff spot while showing significant progress in head coach Gina Brewer's first season at the helm. CSUN improved its win total by four games from the previous season, finishing with a 5-11-3 overall record and a 3-4-3 Big West mark. Overall, the Matadors posted their most wins, conference wins, conference points (12), goals allowed (28) and best save percentage (.876) since the 2019 season. Â
ABOUT TRINITY WESTERN
The Spartans compete in the Canada West conference in Langley, B.C., Canada. Trinity Western finished with 12-9-7 record last fall with a bronze medal in the Canada West along with a sixth-place finish in the U Sports Championship (Canada's national championship).
#GoMatadors
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Players Mentioned
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