By Lindsey Allen |Staff Writer|
The CSUSB women’s soccer team wrapped up their season last week on a positive note with a 1-0 win over Cal State East Bay, ending the season 9-7-2 overall and 7-7-1 in the CCAA.
This is the fifth consecutive winning season for the Coyotes, which is a school record. The team finished fifth in the CCAA out of 12 teams.
“We played really well with a lot of new, young players. I think some of our losses were due to youth and inexperience … we had games where we started eight freshman. The CCAA is the most competitive conference in the country, and a lot of our freshman didn’t get the chance to develop and kind of just jumped into it,” Head Coach Travis Clarke said.
“We finished really strong though and had a successful final weekend. The girls played well and got along and we had a lot of fun. It was a good way to end the season,” he added.
When asked about his favorite moment from the season, Clarke said, “Beating UC San Diego, who is ranked fifth in the country and first in the region, during an away game in overtime. Our travel party and non-travel party, as well as friends and family stormed the field and formed a huge dogpile.”
Goalkeeper Chelsey Jones was impressed mostly by the growth and development of her teammates.
“It was awesome to see how so many players grew and developed this year on and off the field. Our coaching staff was so supportive and passionate about the team and that definitely took us a long way,” said Jones.
“Every year, we come so close to making it to playoffs and it’s disappointing for a moment until I think about all of the success we created as a team. We were able to work together, depend on each other and trust each other.”
Jones added how proud she is of the graduating seniors on the team, saying, “They influenced our program overall and made a difference that will always be a legacy here. I wish all six of them the best as they enter a new chapter of their lives. We love them.”
Forward Jani Carmona-Urbano is one of those seniors who will be graduating in June. Carmona-Urbano had an outstanding season and was just named to the All-CCAA first-team women’s soccer team.
Carmona-Urbano said of the overall season, “I thought a lot of the times we lost were unlucky. As a team we’re young and inconsistent. The future generations will be awesome. I just wish this year we would have made it without struggling or losing key players to injury.”
Overall the women’s soccer team shined this season, despite not making it to playoffs. The team grew a lot and will no doubt come back stronger than ever next season.
Chelsey Jones put it perfectly when stating, “I can’t wait to start working on next season. We have the potential to make history at CSUSB!”
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