The 2025 NCAA women’s soccer season is off to a roaring start, with storied programs like Pepperdine and UMass each setting a tone for what promises to be a fiercely competitive campaign. From the California coast to the heart of Massachusetts, new faces and bold ambitions are taking center stage—a testament to the ever-evolving landscape of collegiate soccer.
Pepperdine’s Women’s Soccer team, affectionately dubbed "Team 33" for its place in the program’s 33-year history, enters the season with unfinished business. Last year, the Waves made headlines by sharing the West Coast Conference (WCC) title with perennial powerhouse Santa Clara and earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament. But ask anyone in the Pepperdine camp, and they’ll tell you: a co-championship just isn’t enough this time around.
"Our girls are hungry for more. We want to be, and we have to get better," stated Head Coach Tim Ward, who has helmed the program since 1998. "We have to keep reaching for higher, loftier goals, and try to do things that have yet to be done with our program, and we’re excited about that—we’re excited about that challenge." According to Ward, the energy, leadership, and dynamic of the team shift every year, but the mission remains the same: win it all and etch their names in the record books.
The 2025 squad looks noticeably different from last year’s trailblazing "Team 32." Eight players have departed, a mix of graduates and transfers, but the void is being filled by an equally impressive group of eight true freshmen. Six are field players and two are goalkeepers, with most hailing from California. Notably, Bella Larson arrives from Flower Mound, Texas, while Hattie Sherlock joins from Great Bookham, England—making Sherlock the first international recruit for the Waves in a decade, a fact that’s generating plenty of excitement in Malibu.
"We’re going to be getting so many new freshmen, it’s going to be tough, but honestly, it’s just going to be a new opportunity to show off what we have and what a lot of people don’t see in us," said junior forward Julia Quinonez, who’s eager to see how the new mix will gel. Junior defender Peyton Leonard echoed the sentiment, noting, "There’s not really division with the classes. I think it is so cohesive, and everyone hangs out with everyone, which I think is something that is so amazing and that not a lot of teams have."
There’s no denying the challenge of replacing graduated stars, including Tori Waldeck, now pursuing a professional career with Spokane Zephyr FC. But senior midfielder Karina Gonzalez sees opportunity in transition: "It does change the identity routine, but the core still stays the same. I’m super excited to see people step into new roles and take on more of a responsibility on the team, and be able to be that impact player and kind of not live in the shadows of someone, but be someone by themselves, with the team supporting them."
The Waves aren’t just talking a big game—they’re getting early recognition. Pepperdine is ranked No. 2 in the WCC preseason coaches poll, earning five first-place votes and trailing only Santa Clara by two. Gonzalez, along with midfielders Tabitha LaParl and Tatum Wynalda, has been named to the WCC preseason all-conference team. Gonzalez and LaParl also landed on the United Soccer Coaches’ Midfielders Watch List, with Gonzalez earning a prestigious No. 41 ranking in Top Drawer Soccer’s Women’s National Top 100 Division I Players for 2025.
"I think that’s such an honor and a blessing," Gonzalez reflected. "I couldn’t have done this without my teammates who pushed me every day. I want to use that to continue to motivate me and inspire me and my team."
Fitness is a major focus for Ward and his staff. "The women we recruit, they understand the sacrifice that is needed to be great on the field," he said. "So, there’s just a standard. The standard is: you come in fit." Ward maintains that elite fitness is not only essential for success in the fall but also prepares players for professional opportunities beyond college. "These girls are getting after it every single day, and we’re really proud of the work they do that’s never seen," he added.
After wrapping up preseason preparations with a 1-0 exhibition win over Cal Poly on August 9, Pepperdine officially kicked off its 2025 campaign on August 14 with a high-profile clash at No. 9 Texas Christian University (TCU). While the outcome of that match is still fresh, the Waves are determined to start strong and carry momentum into upcoming contests against the University of Southern California and UC Berkeley—two programs with their own rich soccer traditions.
Meanwhile, across the country, the UMass Minutewomen are writing their own story of transition and promise. On August 14, UMass opened its season with a gritty 1-0 victory over St. John’s at Rudd Field, thanks to a decisive 68th-minute strike by freshman Amelia Deren—her first collegiate goal. Deren’s effort came off a quick centering pass from graduate student Sarah Defreitas and deflected off a Red Storm defender before nestling into the back of the net.
"We had lots of chances and I’m glad I was able to put it into the net, but I think our team, after that, our reaction to the goal, just to keep the press up and keep them in their half really paid off," Deren said after the match. Head Coach Jason Dowiak praised the freshman’s poise and versatility, recalling, "It’s funny, when we recruited her, she came to a camp, we had never seen her before, she just showed up for an i.d. clinic and we were like, ‘wow’. She was the best player in the clinic and we were like, ‘we really like you’. She plays for one of the best clubs in the country, the Michigan Hawks and it was just a good fit for us."
UMass dominated the stat sheet, outshooting St. John’s 13-5 and earning a 10-1 advantage in corner kicks. Redshirt freshman Leah Nisenfield, making her first start in goal after Bella Mendoza’s graduation, made two key saves to preserve the clean sheet. The Minutewomen, who lost their top nine scorers from last year’s 13-5-3 squad, are relying on a bumper crop of 10 true freshmen and several transfers to shape the new era. Caroline Dickinson, the highest-scoring returner, netted just two goals last season, underscoring the scale of the team’s transformation.
"It’s been four years since we’ve been like this because we just graduated 12 players and most of them started for us," Dowiak remarked. "So we’ve been through it. What we learned from the group that graduated last year... what we learned from them and through them and with them I think has really prepared us to prepare another young group. This group has come in, they want to learn, they want to grow, they’re super close."
UMass was voted to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) preseason coaches poll, with Western Michigan favored to top the standings. Next up for the Minutewomen is a road test at NJIT on August 21, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. The early signs suggest that, despite heavy turnover, UMass is eager to prove doubters wrong and forge a new identity.
As the 2025 women’s soccer season gets underway, both Pepperdine and UMass are embracing change with open arms and high hopes. Whether it’s the Waves’ quest for outright WCC glory or the Minutewomen’s bold rebuild, fans can expect plenty of drama, determination, and dazzling play in the weeks ahead.
