Photo by: Robert Huskey
Women's Soccer 2022 Season Preview
August 08, 2022 | Women's Soccer
UC Irvine is back on the pitch after an historic 2021 season to ride the momentum, and begin traveling this week to Cal Poly Pomona and San Diego for exhibition tune-ups. Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. is the first matchup at Cal Poly Pomona followed by a Friday night trip to San Diego as the program preps for the season opener Thursday, August 18 at home vs. Cal.
In this season preview, we dive into five top things to watch with added commentary from head coach Scott Juniper as well.
Five Things to Watch
1 -Β UC Irvine's defends their title and status with a home opener against a 2021 opponent they wronged in Cal of the Pac-12. UCI handed Cal their first loss of 2021 with the first win over the Golden Bears in program history as they look for a big push from the home crowd this time around on a Thursday night. Cal is 1 of 2 Pac-12 opponents UCI will face as it bookends non-conference play at USC who is the lone 2021 NCAA Tournament participant it matches up against.
"Coming off of a season like last year, we won a lot of games, won a lot of big games with people watching from all over the country; that's still fresh in everybody's mind. We've got to balance out taking the healthy bits from last season and not get stuck on repeating what we did. We're going to build a new team and do something that's new and fresh and treat this like a brand new adventure."
"We've always tried to schedule as tough as possible. We've always called everybody and are open to play everybody, and the conference we're shooting to compete with is the Pac-12. We had a great year against the Pac-12 last year and narrowly missed out with a game that I think we wish we had again with Oregon State, but we went up to Cal and beat Cal and then we beat UCLA in the tournament. This year we open up with Cal here in Anteater Stadium, and it's a terrific matchup to play in front of our community and getting loads of people out to see it. It's going to be a barn burner - obviously they've got a point to prove and our players can't wait for it."
2 -Β The trophy case was lined with Anteaters in 2021 with nine honored through All-West Region, All-Big West, or major conference awards. The 'Eaters return eight of those players including keeper Glo Hinojosa and Big West Tournament MVP Maddy Chavez who each of those honors as the Big West's top keeper and defender, respectively. Third-year Anteaters Gianna Creighton and Destinee Manzo were other All-West Region honorees that are back for the Anteaters, and the contingent is completed by All-Big West recipients Alex Jaquez and Chloe Ragon on the second team, honorable mention Alyssa Moore, and All-Freshman notables Sophie Gillies and Kiera Smeenge.
"We return Big West Goalkeeper of the Year Glo Hinojosa, Defender of the Year Maddy Chavez, Destinee Manzo, Amber Huff, and Alex Jaquez all played a massive part in last season, and all could have graduated on time. What COVID has done for us is open that window for those that want to play out the year that they missed. Those five had decided to do that and we are very happy that they did. They all came to that decision on their own for various reasons. What draws them together is that they're all super competitors. We couldn't be happier that we get them again, and it will be really good leadership. They will all experience different challenges so the expectation is something they're going to have to manage. If they share the burden of leadership, I think we're in for a really solid season."
3 -Β A majority of UCI's production from a year ago returns that put up 123 points on 42 goals and 39 assists. Scarlett Camberos and her 13 goals and seven assists are the big blow now playing professionally for Club America in Mexico, however, 59% of the points return including two-thirds of the scoring and three-quarters of the assists with the quartet of Destinee Manzo, Alyssa Moore, Sophie Gillies, and Desiree Mendoza each contributing three or more goals and assists a year ago. The program has been able to sustain its success thanks in large part to the duo of P.J. Woolridge and Danielle de Seriere that have provided stability each in their ninth years completing coach Juniper's staff at UCI.
"Danielle and P.J. joined our staff closing in on 10 years ago now and first of all Danielle, to have one of our alums and a student-athlete that achieved so much for us is incredible to have. The fact we've been able to retain each of them for so long gives us stability, and the three of us have grown through all of our experiences. We have three different opinions at times about how we should play and approach games and pivot in important moments in games, but we have a common understanding of where we're trying to get to. Everybody is happy to share opinions, and we shake that up and get a solution. The players are provided the a stability of a program that they're walking into. It has a framework now and I think the players grow a lot from that and have comfort in it. I think that's a lot due to a number of reasons like the experience they've had as individuals, it's an amazing place to be with a beautiful campus and university that has a real stickiness to it that's kept them around."
4 -Β UC Irvine's minutes leader is back in Gianna Creighton after 1,962 minutes last year as a defending mid and approaching 3,500 career minutes. She leads a crew of nine Anteaters returning to the fold of the 10 last season that played over 1,000 minutes with the likes of Chloe Ragon patrolling the midfield with her and a stout backline of 1,000-minutes players Maddy Chavez, Kiera Smeenge, Lilli Rask, and Alex Jaquez in front of Glo Hinojosa who posted 16 wins, 10 shutouts, and a program record shutout streak of 544:57 in 2021.
"We've got rising upperclassmen now like Gianna Creighton who has played almost every minute of her career here and established herself as a big-time performer for us in the holding spot, rarely gives the ball away, and super consistent. Another that comes to mind is Alyssa Moore who began to flourish and thrive with the team last season. She was someone that could have used another month or so of that season had it stretched any more to continue to gather momentum so those two are among the many I'm looking at."
5 -Β With all the returning firepower, it's hard to think an incoming class could match that, but they might have. Two seismic transfers in Tati Fung, with one year under her belt at the University of Texas, and Aislynn Crowder, after two years at UCLA. The duo of native Hawaiians leads a talented group that includes English national Emilie Castagna and twins Ella Colombini and Mia Colombini from Northern California that only scratch the surface of the 14 newcomers joining on as 'Eaters.
"The incoming class grew steadily. It's a significant class and as good as any other freshman class that we've recruited. It's a great combination of athleticism, technical ability, and gives us depth in a lot of different areas. And then we were able to add two transfers - Tati Fung, one of the top midfielders in the country from the University of Texas that will be a real creative influence up closer to the forwards, and Aislynn Crowder is a transfer from UCLA we added in the final chapter of recruiting that will play in the central midfielder area but has a lot of versatility. She will play a little deeper than Tati, but she will have lot of competition to get on the field like Fung. They find themselves in a really good place and time for them to be joining our team, and this roster will push them to be their very best."
In this season preview, we dive into five top things to watch with added commentary from head coach Scott Juniper as well.
Five Things to Watch
1 -Β UC Irvine's defends their title and status with a home opener against a 2021 opponent they wronged in Cal of the Pac-12. UCI handed Cal their first loss of 2021 with the first win over the Golden Bears in program history as they look for a big push from the home crowd this time around on a Thursday night. Cal is 1 of 2 Pac-12 opponents UCI will face as it bookends non-conference play at USC who is the lone 2021 NCAA Tournament participant it matches up against.
"Coming off of a season like last year, we won a lot of games, won a lot of big games with people watching from all over the country; that's still fresh in everybody's mind. We've got to balance out taking the healthy bits from last season and not get stuck on repeating what we did. We're going to build a new team and do something that's new and fresh and treat this like a brand new adventure."
"We've always tried to schedule as tough as possible. We've always called everybody and are open to play everybody, and the conference we're shooting to compete with is the Pac-12. We had a great year against the Pac-12 last year and narrowly missed out with a game that I think we wish we had again with Oregon State, but we went up to Cal and beat Cal and then we beat UCLA in the tournament. This year we open up with Cal here in Anteater Stadium, and it's a terrific matchup to play in front of our community and getting loads of people out to see it. It's going to be a barn burner - obviously they've got a point to prove and our players can't wait for it."
2 -Β The trophy case was lined with Anteaters in 2021 with nine honored through All-West Region, All-Big West, or major conference awards. The 'Eaters return eight of those players including keeper Glo Hinojosa and Big West Tournament MVP Maddy Chavez who each of those honors as the Big West's top keeper and defender, respectively. Third-year Anteaters Gianna Creighton and Destinee Manzo were other All-West Region honorees that are back for the Anteaters, and the contingent is completed by All-Big West recipients Alex Jaquez and Chloe Ragon on the second team, honorable mention Alyssa Moore, and All-Freshman notables Sophie Gillies and Kiera Smeenge.
"We return Big West Goalkeeper of the Year Glo Hinojosa, Defender of the Year Maddy Chavez, Destinee Manzo, Amber Huff, and Alex Jaquez all played a massive part in last season, and all could have graduated on time. What COVID has done for us is open that window for those that want to play out the year that they missed. Those five had decided to do that and we are very happy that they did. They all came to that decision on their own for various reasons. What draws them together is that they're all super competitors. We couldn't be happier that we get them again, and it will be really good leadership. They will all experience different challenges so the expectation is something they're going to have to manage. If they share the burden of leadership, I think we're in for a really solid season."
3 -Β A majority of UCI's production from a year ago returns that put up 123 points on 42 goals and 39 assists. Scarlett Camberos and her 13 goals and seven assists are the big blow now playing professionally for Club America in Mexico, however, 59% of the points return including two-thirds of the scoring and three-quarters of the assists with the quartet of Destinee Manzo, Alyssa Moore, Sophie Gillies, and Desiree Mendoza each contributing three or more goals and assists a year ago. The program has been able to sustain its success thanks in large part to the duo of P.J. Woolridge and Danielle de Seriere that have provided stability each in their ninth years completing coach Juniper's staff at UCI.
"Danielle and P.J. joined our staff closing in on 10 years ago now and first of all Danielle, to have one of our alums and a student-athlete that achieved so much for us is incredible to have. The fact we've been able to retain each of them for so long gives us stability, and the three of us have grown through all of our experiences. We have three different opinions at times about how we should play and approach games and pivot in important moments in games, but we have a common understanding of where we're trying to get to. Everybody is happy to share opinions, and we shake that up and get a solution. The players are provided the a stability of a program that they're walking into. It has a framework now and I think the players grow a lot from that and have comfort in it. I think that's a lot due to a number of reasons like the experience they've had as individuals, it's an amazing place to be with a beautiful campus and university that has a real stickiness to it that's kept them around."
4 -Β UC Irvine's minutes leader is back in Gianna Creighton after 1,962 minutes last year as a defending mid and approaching 3,500 career minutes. She leads a crew of nine Anteaters returning to the fold of the 10 last season that played over 1,000 minutes with the likes of Chloe Ragon patrolling the midfield with her and a stout backline of 1,000-minutes players Maddy Chavez, Kiera Smeenge, Lilli Rask, and Alex Jaquez in front of Glo Hinojosa who posted 16 wins, 10 shutouts, and a program record shutout streak of 544:57 in 2021.
"We've got rising upperclassmen now like Gianna Creighton who has played almost every minute of her career here and established herself as a big-time performer for us in the holding spot, rarely gives the ball away, and super consistent. Another that comes to mind is Alyssa Moore who began to flourish and thrive with the team last season. She was someone that could have used another month or so of that season had it stretched any more to continue to gather momentum so those two are among the many I'm looking at."
5 -Β With all the returning firepower, it's hard to think an incoming class could match that, but they might have. Two seismic transfers in Tati Fung, with one year under her belt at the University of Texas, and Aislynn Crowder, after two years at UCLA. The duo of native Hawaiians leads a talented group that includes English national Emilie Castagna and twins Ella Colombini and Mia Colombini from Northern California that only scratch the surface of the 14 newcomers joining on as 'Eaters.
"The incoming class grew steadily. It's a significant class and as good as any other freshman class that we've recruited. It's a great combination of athleticism, technical ability, and gives us depth in a lot of different areas. And then we were able to add two transfers - Tati Fung, one of the top midfielders in the country from the University of Texas that will be a real creative influence up closer to the forwards, and Aislynn Crowder is a transfer from UCLA we added in the final chapter of recruiting that will play in the central midfielder area but has a lot of versatility. She will play a little deeper than Tati, but she will have lot of competition to get on the field like Fung. They find themselves in a really good place and time for them to be joining our team, and this roster will push them to be their very best."
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