COSTA MESA-- A new season stands on the horizon for Vanguard women's soccer, as the program heads into the 2025 season as an official member of NCAA Division II for the first time in school history. Now with a chance to compete in the Pacific West Conference Tournament come November, Head Coach Emily Reynolds and the Lions will strive to improve on their 3-10-2 (2-7-2 PacWest) record from the previous fall.

The Blue and Gold were a top-five defensive unit in the PacWest season, holding 10 of their 15 opponents on the year to one goal or less. However, a lack of steady goalscoring halted their forward momentum throughout the campaign. Heading into 2025, VU has placed a sharp focus on the attack in the offseason and is excited to reap the rewards.

"Last year was a great debut year for us," noted Reynolds. "Our emphasis on defensive organization was huge, and I thought the girls did great learning that and putting it into practice in a tough conference. In the spring, we spent a lot of time on attacking and moving forward. We're looking for our attack to come alive this year."
Vanguard brings back a large assortment of talent, including five starters, to help fill the shoes of eight graduating seniors from 2024.  Luckily, eight new recruits are ready to join the fray, as the Lions plan to utilize depth to enable tactical flexibility going forward.

Coach Reynolds will also be aided on the sideline by new Assistant Coach Noanne Rosse. A fellow Azusa Pacific alumnus like Reynolds, Rosse is no stranger to the PacWest.
"Noanne is awesome," Reynolds regards. "She came on in January of last year and put in a lot of work in the spring. She's a brilliant soccer mind, and she's helped us a lot tactically to move forward, especially in the attack. And then, of course, Sarah Klinkenberg returning as a keeper coach is huge. So, the gang is back together, ready to roll!"

In goal, VU will need strong discernment from the coaching staff as the Lions find themselves without All-PacWest performer Jordin Holmquist-Wilder and Madalyn Morris, both of whom graduated last fall. Four Lions will now bout for the spot as the new anchor of the backline. Santiago Canyon transfer Grayton Normand is the most experienced of the candidates, as she appeared in 25 matches over her two seasons with the Hawks, starting in 20. In her 2024 campaign, Normand conceded just 13 goals in her 15 games and claimed eight clean sheets to earn All-Orange Empire Conference honors. The tallest of the selections is 5'8 Emma Jorn, who was a Vanguard student when she was recruited to join the team in the spring. Washington Premier product Olivia Weidner will also fight for her chance in goal, as the Puyallup native stands as the youngest keeper on the squad. Josselyne Navarrete is the sole returning goalkeeper to the side, and though she did not see action in 2024, the sophomore is much more acclimated to the DII pace in her second season than her compatriots. Reynolds has given each keeper adequate opportunity to split time so far in the preseason scrimmages and still awaits a final consensus on who will claim the position long-term.

Maintaining a defensive standard in the back four will also be an interesting point of consideration for VU, as all seven of their returners offer depth, but they all vary with their in-game experience. Fortunately for the Lions, they can already rebuild half of their starting backline, as Audrey Swanis and Hannah Caira return as key pieces to begin remolding a structured defense. The two sophomores were rock solid from the right side of the defense in their debut season, starting and playing in all 15 games. Caria was a stout center back, committing just four fouls all season and never being carded. Swanis was likewise a brick wall and grew going forward from right back as the season went on. Beatrice Johnson and Emily Wagner are more faces to watch as both sported four appearances last season but offer a physical presence for the Lions whenever they're on the pitch. Caelyn Armijo, Jaylen Kinong, and Lily Fama return to fight for their spot in the squad.

As for the newcomers, Coach Reynolds is confident they can make a push for starting positions. Megan Charley, a dual sport athlete from the VU track team, caught the coaches' attention in the spring. Her athletic ability will make an instant impact on the team's ability to recover defensively. Freshmen Kalena Yamashita and Kyra Binstock also looked poised to have a role this season, with Binstock showing positional flexibility across all lines of a given formation.

The Blue and Gold will aim to maximize the versatility of their players by having a rotational midfield and front line. There's no question, however, that the middle of the park will rely on the creative collaboration of Rachel Penick, Kaitlyn Currier, and Hailey Garvin. The trio are the most seasoned returners of the Lion midfield and have continued to reimagine their games over the past few campaigns. Penick, now a fifth-year player, played all 15 games for VU last season, scoring one goal, supplying a team-best three assists, and firing a career-best .538 shot-on-goal percentage. Her ability to clip in dangerous balls behind the defense, paired with her strength when her back is to the goal, continues to be a useful tool in her final season with the Lions. Currier grew into a starting role last season, taking the reins as the team's top scorer with four goals and sparking creative flair around the tip of the 18-yard box. Garvin's fight with injuries kept her from locking in a spot in the starting lineup, but her presence off the bench remained influential. The junior midfielder is a hardworking box-to-box midfielder who creates openings with her powerful dribbling and willingness to strike on goal. Avery Hanhauser saw significant minutes as a freshman last season which crafts her case to earn more minutes in 2025. Senior Samantha Pellettera seeks minutes in her final season as another adept member of the core returners who can provide solid defensive play. Freshman Lindsey Hiraki and Kate Burns round out the midfield options, giving the coaches a plethora of players to select to keep legs fresh.

The forward line is ready to hunt for goals after a spring focused on scoring.  Kennedy Cypher bagged two assists last season to bring her to 25 career points. She was unfortunate not to find the back of the net after leading the team in shots (35) and shots-on-goal, with a career-best mark of 17. A central player to VU's attack, Cypher looks to get back to goalscoring this season, enforcing her rapid pace and dynamic crossing to keep opponents pinned back in their own half. Francesca Lindstrom is another familiar face who can crank out more goals in 2025. The senior tallied eight shots last season, with four coming on target, and optimizes her time down on the flanks with dangerous runs between the lines of the defense.

Through the middle, VU can lean on senior Sydney Powell in her second season with the Blue and Gold. Powell's 14 appearances from last fall were split into six starts and eight nods off the bench. She registered one assist and 10 shots on goal and plans to net her first Lion goal this year. The striker excels at settling into valuable positions in the opposition's box to create goalscoring opportunities. The remaining onus of goalscoring comes from Abby Grabowski, Moriah Whorton, Adiah Edwardson, and Alanna Heem. Edwardson and Whorton will continue to offer choices going forward, giving the Lions options to drive balls into space. Heem and Grabowski could see their roles shift from the midfield to forward this season and hope to contribute after limited action last year.

Nonconference action will be the staging ground for the new-look Lions in 2025. Their season starts with a quartet of games against CCAA opponents, with CSU San Bernardino on September 4 opening the campaign.  VU then faces Cal State Dominguez Hills just two days later. The Blue and Gold then kick off a five-game homestand a week later, welcoming Cal State LA on September 13 and then hosting CSU San Marcos on the 18th. VU brings in Colorado Christian for the first matchup between both programs on September 20 and closes out its nonconference schedule with a clash against Concordia University Irvine on September 27.

The PacWest slate kicks off on October 4 against Jessup, before the Lions make a long-winded road trip through mid-October, facing Hawaii Pacific, Hawaii Hilo, CUI, and Point Loma. Vanguard plays four of the final five games of the regular season at home, ending the conference slate with Menlo on November 8. The PacWest Tournament is hosted by Point Loma this year and runs November 13-15, with the winner taking a spot in the NCAA tournament in mid-November. 

VU was slotted in 10th in the preseason PacWest poll, but Coach Reynolds has ambitions for more than just exceeding that ranking. 

"Yes, we talk a lot about soccer and want to compete, but. At the end of the day, that's not our main goal. It's not why we're here.  I think for me, with the players, my biggest thing is always going to be development as, as people, and especially for me, where does their value come from?  It gets challenged a lot within athletics…. I think we talked a lot about those things, and who you become and the relationships that you build, that's what lasts. That's what I'm looking for at the end. Yes, we want to compete in soccer, absolutely, but there are bigger things going on."