IRVINE, Calif.-- UC Irvine women's soccer's incoming class for 2024 continues to grow with another Power 5 transfer adding attacker Kaitlyn Paculba.
The Orange County-native spent her first three years of college at the University of Oregon playing 47 matches including nearly every one the last two seasons, and breaching the starting XI 15 times.
"I'm super excited to join this program and can't wait for the next year ahead. Rip 'Em!" Paculba said excitedly of her upcoming Anteater career.
The 5-5 forward put up 10 points in her Ducks career adding to her total in every season. She scored twice as a freshman including in her collegiate debut, added another goal and her two career assists in her sophomore season, and added a fourth career goal last season while playing nearly 1,400 career minutes.
"Kaitlyn will add some spice to our attack," noted head coach
Scott Juniper. "She is rapid with and without the ball, has a fierce competitiveness and loves to win. Our team has a proven track record of absorbing transfers into our fabric quickly and we will see Kaitlyn very soon in our final spring games."
The psychology major returns to Southern California where she grew up in Huntington Beach and went to Marina high school. At Marina, she was a league champion both on the soccer field and on the track & field team Paculba was the Orange County 100-meter champion her sophomore and qualified for CIF all four years in sprints. She also continues the family legacy after her father, Dean, was part of the very first men's soccer team in 1984.
On the club circuit, she played for LAFC Slammers leading them in scoring with 34 goals and 16 assists. She was an Elite Clubs National Champion in 2018 and reached the national semifinal the folllowing year. Paculba participated with the Olympic Developmental Program from 2015-17. She joins the Anteater program that graduates some firepower up top in
Alyssa Moore,
Erin Covey, and
Sophie Gillies. The returning crew of goalscorers like
Desiree Mendoza,
Emilie Castagna,
Laila El Behery, and more will challenge the fourth-year collegian as the 'Eaters look to defend their Big West title and NCAA Tournament run again in 2024.
