Sunday, August 24
Irvine, Calif.
1:00 p.m. PT
University of Washington
at
UC Irvine
Dawgs Visit SoCal, Battle UC Irvine Sunday
August 23, 2025 | Women's Soccer
IRVINE, Calif. – Hot on the heels of a pair of dominant victories at Husky Soccer Stadium, Washington embarks on a three-match streak away from home, beginning with a Sunday matinee at UC Irvine, kicking of at 1:00 p.m. PT.
Sunday's match will be available for streaming via ESPN+. Links to live coverage are available on the women's soccer schedule page at GoHuskies.com.
SCOUTING UC IRVINE
UC Irvine is in its 18th season under the direction of head coach Scott Juniper, the all-time winningest coach in the history of the Anteater program. Juniper has guided UCI to four Big West regular season championships and five trips to the NCAA Tournament, including three straight from 2021-23.
Opening the season with three consecutive road matches, UC Irvine has started off 2025 with a 1-1-1 record, most recently drawing 0-0 at San Diego on Thursday. In the Anteaters' lone matchup with a Power 4 program, Arizona topped the Anteaters 1-0 in Tucson.
Four different players have scored UC Irvine's four goals so far this season, with senior midfielder Mia Colombini leading the team with three total points. Colombini has also been UCI's most aggressive attacking player, firing off eight shots and putting five on frame. The Anteaters did not return a single player with multiple goals in 2024.
After playing in two matches a season ago, junior keeper Laurynn Ziller has taken over as UCI's primary option between the posts. In three starts, Ziller has posted a 0.67 GAA with a .818 save percentage on nine stops.
SERIES HISTORY
In nine all-time meetings with the Anteaters, Washington is a perfect 9-0-0, outscoring UC Irvine 22-5. Sunday's match will be the fourth trip to Irvine for the Huskies, the first since earning a 1-0 overtime win in 2010. UW defeated the Anteaters 2-0 at Husky Soccer Stadium a season ago.
LAST MEETING (8/25/24)
SEATTLE - Ioanna Papatheodorou and Radisson Banks posted second half goals Sunday as Washington picked up its first win of the 2024 season, topping UC Irvine 2-0 at Husky Soccer Stadium.
The Huskies dictated the pace of play for the majority of the match, racking up a 16-8 advantage in shots, including 10-2 in the first half.
Making her first career start, junior goalkeeper Mia Hamant earned a decisive clean sheet, stopping all four Anteater shots on goal.
10 minutes in, it appeared the Huskies had an early lead through Kelsey Branson. However, the flag on the far sideline came up, chalking off the San Diego native's tidy finish.
Despite a bevy of chances in the first 45, the Dawgs were forced into the halftime break deadlocked in a scoreless tie.
However, the Huskies wouldn't have to wait long after the restart, jumping ahead in the 53rd behind Papatheodorou. The breakthrough came via a second ball, with Eichenberger heading on Maya Loudd's re-serve right into the path of Papatheodorou as the Greek international slipped her shot past the charging keeper.
With their first lead of the season in hand, the Huskies were able to hold the Anteater attack at bay until Banks sealed the deal in the 90th minute.
With nobody in front of her, the sophomore striker pounced on a loose touch from UCI keeper Ashley Naylor, picking the ball off her foot, breaking away free on goal and cooly sliding the dagger into the vacant net.
JADYN'S JUST GETTING STARTED
One of the early bright spots for the Huskies has been the quick start for junior Jadyn Holdenried, who has already tripled her point output from a season ago with six point on three goals and an assist to lead the team. Holdenried has been extremely efficient, needing just six shots for her three goals, putting four attempts on the frame of goal.
EARLY AND OFTEN
Washington's eight goals are tied for its most through the first three matches of the season since 2008, when the Huskies bagged nine goals en route to a 15-6-1 record. UW also scored eight times through three matches in 2022. It took Washington twice as long to reach eight goals during the 2024 season.
HOME SWEET HOME
Sunday's match is the first and only time during the non-conference season that Washington will be forced to leave the comfortable confines of its home state. UW opened the season with three-consecutive home fixtures at Husky Soccer Stadium. Following this weekend's trip, the Huskies will return for a pair of in-state road matches at Gonzaga and Seattle U before concluding the non-conference slate with a meeting with former Pac-12 foe Utah in Seattle. The Huskies open Big Ten play with a road trip south, facing USC at the newly built Rawlinson Stadium.
YOU CAN FIND ME IN DA CLUB
One of the more unique paths to the Husky roster comes from junior Avery Nguyen, who was offered a roster spot prior to the start of the 2023 season after a trial during preseason training. A native of the Kansas City metro area and a former standout for Olathe Northwest High School and Sporting Blue Valley, Nguyen led the UW club team in scoring as a college freshman in 2022.
Nguyen got her senior off to a strong start on Sunday, scoring her first career goal in 15 career appearances for Washington.
PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Dating back to the end of the 2023 season, Washington has been defeated on its home soil just once in the last 16 matches at Husky Soccer Stadium. The Huskies own a 11-1-4 home record during the stretch, outscoring opponents 30-7.
ALL ROADS CLOSED
The stout Husky defensive unit, which tied the program record for fewest goals allowed in a single season in 2024, surrendering just 12, is led by senior centerback Kolo Suliafu, who was named to the United Soccer Coaches' Defenders to Watch list. Suliafu, a Second Team All-Big Ten and United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection, has made 35 consecutive starts for Washington and contributed to 22 clean sheets throughout her illustrious UW career, including 20 as a member of the starting XI. Suliafu was also ranked as the No. 91 player in all of women's college soccer in TopDrawerSoccer's annual preseason top-100 list.
WATCH OUT!
Suliafu was joined on the Big Ten Players to Watch List by a pair of teammates in junior midfielder Samiah Shell and fifth year Laura Cetina. It was Suliafu's second consecutive appearance on the preseason list.
Shell, a native of Auburn, Washington, is Washington's leading returning scorer with five goals during a breakout sophomore campaign. A former participant in the prestigious High School All-American Game, Shell also dished out three assists in 2024 for 13 total points. The Auburn Riverside HS product opened her Husky scoring account with a goal at No. 10 Santa Clara, also adding a brace in UW's Big Ten road victory over Maryland.
Meanwhile, Cetina is a fresh face to Montlake, joining Washington after playing the last two seasons at UMass Lowell, the former home of Husky All-Big Ten standout Ioanna Papatheodorou. Cetina brings a winning pedigree in tow, having guided Eastern Florida State College to its first-ever NJCAA National Championship in 2021. Prior to coming stateside, the A Coruña, Spain, native scored 38 goals over four seasons for Spanish club Victoria C.F.
STARTING XI FIXTURE
Since making seven-straight starts to end her freshman campaign, junior Kelsey Branson has not failed to crack the Huskies' starting XI a single time, a streak spanning 50 consecutive matches. Branson is the only Husky to start all 19 matches in 2023 and all 21 fixtures of 2024.
SMART COOKIES
For the 10th straight season, Washington has received the United Soccer Coaches Academic Award after earning a 3.67 team GPA.
MIA KICKS CANCER
Washington will be playing for far more than bragging rights and glory on the pitch in 2025, sporting an orange ribbon on the front of its jerseys in support of senior goalkeeper Mia Hamant, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 SMARCB1-deficient kidney cancer. Hamant hopes to return to the pitch in Purple and Gold but will not suit up on the pitch in 2025.
The California native, who recently celebrated her 21st birthday, did more than just perform in her first season as Washington's primary keeper a season ago, she starred. Hamant posted the nation's third-best save percentage in 2024 at .882, while UW collectively hailed the NCAA's top save percentage. Hamant's 0.66 goals against average was the third lowest in a season for a UW keeper, while her seven clean sheets were the sixth most in a season for a Husky.
Hamant, who also excels in the classroom at U Dub as a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District and Big Ten Fall All-Academic honoree, put UW on her back during Washington's postseason run last season. The Redwood HS product was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after making three penalty saves to lift UW over Iowa into the Big Ten Semifinals, then followed up with more penalty shootout excellence as UW advanced past No. 25 Utah State into the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
The UW community has rallied around Hamant, with several Husky programs donning orange ribbons in the standout shot stopper's honor. Additionally, a GoFundMe to support the various costs associated with Hamant's care has raised over $125,000 to date. Fans can follow along with Hamant's cancer journey on Instagram at @miakickscancer.
KEEP SLEEPING
Despite grossly outperforming its preseason prognostication of 13th in the 2024 Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll, finishing tied for 5th in the league table and advancing to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals, Washington once again is not predicted to be amongst the league's top teams. The Huskies were picked to finish ninth in the 2025 iteration of the preseason poll, with USC predicted to win this season's league crown.
2025 Big Ten Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. USC
2. UCLA
3. Penn State
4. Michigan State
5. Ohio State
6. Iowa
7. Wisconsin
8. Rutgers
9. Washington
10. Minnesota
11. Purdue
12. Nebraska
13. Michigan
14. Northwestern
15. Illinois
16. Oregon
17. Indiana
18. Maryland
LEFT SIDE, BEST SIDE
Of the 28 members of Washington's 2025 roster, 20 hail from West Coast states, featuring 11 natives of California, eight home state products from Washington and one product of the Portland suburbs in Oregon. However, Washington's squad spans the US and globe, with natives of Georgia, Kansas, Nevada and five internationals donning the Purple and Gold.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
For the second consecutive season, Washington returns every member of its coaching staff, retaining assistant coaches Cole Schmit, Raphael Cox and Kary Whitney to Nicole Van Dyke's staff. Previously Washington had not returned every member of its coaching staff since 2018.
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
This summer, Washington senior Lucy Newlin was one of two UW athletes selected as a Big Ten's Outstanding Sportsmanship Award honoree, along with baseball's Malakhi Knight. A two-way player on the pitch and in the classroom, Newlin leads through both words and actions, showing consummate respect and sportsmanship for both her teammates and opponents. The NorCal native is also a leader in the community for the Dawgs, consistently rating as one of UW's top participants in community service initiatives. On the field, the Newlin is expected to be a key cog to the Husky defense after battling through nagging injuries in 2024.
CROOTIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD
Washington spanned not only the country to bolster its roster in 2025, the Huskies searched all over the world to bring in the newest group of Dawgs. UW added five Europeans this summer in midfielder Laura Cetina (Spain/UMass Lowell), goalkeeper Cadi Doran (Wales/Liverpool FC), defender Julia Hüsch (Germany/UNC Asheville) and defender Anouk Westphal (Germany/Hertha BSC). Washington also returns junior Belgian international defender/midfielder Enora Matté, who is set to resume action after tearing her ACL during Big Ten play in 2024.
VEGAS BORN, SEATTLE PROUD
Hailing from the Las Vegas desert, Washington sophomore Andrea Leyva and her brother, Seattle Sounders midfielder Danny Leyva now call the Evergreen State home. Andrea appeared in 16 matches with 10 starts for UW as a freshman and was ranked as a four star recruit and the No. 39 prospect in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer. Meanwhile, Danny has played in 69 matches for Seattle's MLS club, becoming the third youngest player in league history after coming on as a late substitute in the Sounders' away loss to the Montreal Impact.
MENTI BE
The Leyva's are not the only sibling connection in Seattle. Anna and Sally Menti, who starred at Roosevelt High School, less than three miles from Husky Soccer Stadium, have shared different paths to playing in front of their home state fans. Sally was an All-American midfielder at Santa Clara before signing a short-term contract and later a two-year extension this season with the NWSL's Seattle Reign, making four appearances with one goal. Meanwhile, Anna is in her third season at UW, making 39 appearances with 25 starts and collecting two goals and two assists along the way.
For more information on Husky Women's Soccer, follow @UW_WSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
Sunday's match will be available for streaming via ESPN+. Links to live coverage are available on the women's soccer schedule page at GoHuskies.com.
SCOUTING UC IRVINE
UC Irvine is in its 18th season under the direction of head coach Scott Juniper, the all-time winningest coach in the history of the Anteater program. Juniper has guided UCI to four Big West regular season championships and five trips to the NCAA Tournament, including three straight from 2021-23.
Opening the season with three consecutive road matches, UC Irvine has started off 2025 with a 1-1-1 record, most recently drawing 0-0 at San Diego on Thursday. In the Anteaters' lone matchup with a Power 4 program, Arizona topped the Anteaters 1-0 in Tucson.
Four different players have scored UC Irvine's four goals so far this season, with senior midfielder Mia Colombini leading the team with three total points. Colombini has also been UCI's most aggressive attacking player, firing off eight shots and putting five on frame. The Anteaters did not return a single player with multiple goals in 2024.
After playing in two matches a season ago, junior keeper Laurynn Ziller has taken over as UCI's primary option between the posts. In three starts, Ziller has posted a 0.67 GAA with a .818 save percentage on nine stops.
SERIES HISTORY
In nine all-time meetings with the Anteaters, Washington is a perfect 9-0-0, outscoring UC Irvine 22-5. Sunday's match will be the fourth trip to Irvine for the Huskies, the first since earning a 1-0 overtime win in 2010. UW defeated the Anteaters 2-0 at Husky Soccer Stadium a season ago.
LAST MEETING (8/25/24)
SEATTLE - Ioanna Papatheodorou and Radisson Banks posted second half goals Sunday as Washington picked up its first win of the 2024 season, topping UC Irvine 2-0 at Husky Soccer Stadium.
The Huskies dictated the pace of play for the majority of the match, racking up a 16-8 advantage in shots, including 10-2 in the first half.
Making her first career start, junior goalkeeper Mia Hamant earned a decisive clean sheet, stopping all four Anteater shots on goal.
10 minutes in, it appeared the Huskies had an early lead through Kelsey Branson. However, the flag on the far sideline came up, chalking off the San Diego native's tidy finish.
Despite a bevy of chances in the first 45, the Dawgs were forced into the halftime break deadlocked in a scoreless tie.
However, the Huskies wouldn't have to wait long after the restart, jumping ahead in the 53rd behind Papatheodorou. The breakthrough came via a second ball, with Eichenberger heading on Maya Loudd's re-serve right into the path of Papatheodorou as the Greek international slipped her shot past the charging keeper.
With their first lead of the season in hand, the Huskies were able to hold the Anteater attack at bay until Banks sealed the deal in the 90th minute.
With nobody in front of her, the sophomore striker pounced on a loose touch from UCI keeper Ashley Naylor, picking the ball off her foot, breaking away free on goal and cooly sliding the dagger into the vacant net.
JADYN'S JUST GETTING STARTED
One of the early bright spots for the Huskies has been the quick start for junior Jadyn Holdenried, who has already tripled her point output from a season ago with six point on three goals and an assist to lead the team. Holdenried has been extremely efficient, needing just six shots for her three goals, putting four attempts on the frame of goal.
EARLY AND OFTEN
Washington's eight goals are tied for its most through the first three matches of the season since 2008, when the Huskies bagged nine goals en route to a 15-6-1 record. UW also scored eight times through three matches in 2022. It took Washington twice as long to reach eight goals during the 2024 season.
HOME SWEET HOME
Sunday's match is the first and only time during the non-conference season that Washington will be forced to leave the comfortable confines of its home state. UW opened the season with three-consecutive home fixtures at Husky Soccer Stadium. Following this weekend's trip, the Huskies will return for a pair of in-state road matches at Gonzaga and Seattle U before concluding the non-conference slate with a meeting with former Pac-12 foe Utah in Seattle. The Huskies open Big Ten play with a road trip south, facing USC at the newly built Rawlinson Stadium.
YOU CAN FIND ME IN DA CLUB
One of the more unique paths to the Husky roster comes from junior Avery Nguyen, who was offered a roster spot prior to the start of the 2023 season after a trial during preseason training. A native of the Kansas City metro area and a former standout for Olathe Northwest High School and Sporting Blue Valley, Nguyen led the UW club team in scoring as a college freshman in 2022.
Nguyen got her senior off to a strong start on Sunday, scoring her first career goal in 15 career appearances for Washington.
PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Dating back to the end of the 2023 season, Washington has been defeated on its home soil just once in the last 16 matches at Husky Soccer Stadium. The Huskies own a 11-1-4 home record during the stretch, outscoring opponents 30-7.
ALL ROADS CLOSED
The stout Husky defensive unit, which tied the program record for fewest goals allowed in a single season in 2024, surrendering just 12, is led by senior centerback Kolo Suliafu, who was named to the United Soccer Coaches' Defenders to Watch list. Suliafu, a Second Team All-Big Ten and United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection, has made 35 consecutive starts for Washington and contributed to 22 clean sheets throughout her illustrious UW career, including 20 as a member of the starting XI. Suliafu was also ranked as the No. 91 player in all of women's college soccer in TopDrawerSoccer's annual preseason top-100 list.
WATCH OUT!
Suliafu was joined on the Big Ten Players to Watch List by a pair of teammates in junior midfielder Samiah Shell and fifth year Laura Cetina. It was Suliafu's second consecutive appearance on the preseason list.
Shell, a native of Auburn, Washington, is Washington's leading returning scorer with five goals during a breakout sophomore campaign. A former participant in the prestigious High School All-American Game, Shell also dished out three assists in 2024 for 13 total points. The Auburn Riverside HS product opened her Husky scoring account with a goal at No. 10 Santa Clara, also adding a brace in UW's Big Ten road victory over Maryland.
Meanwhile, Cetina is a fresh face to Montlake, joining Washington after playing the last two seasons at UMass Lowell, the former home of Husky All-Big Ten standout Ioanna Papatheodorou. Cetina brings a winning pedigree in tow, having guided Eastern Florida State College to its first-ever NJCAA National Championship in 2021. Prior to coming stateside, the A Coruña, Spain, native scored 38 goals over four seasons for Spanish club Victoria C.F.
STARTING XI FIXTURE
Since making seven-straight starts to end her freshman campaign, junior Kelsey Branson has not failed to crack the Huskies' starting XI a single time, a streak spanning 50 consecutive matches. Branson is the only Husky to start all 19 matches in 2023 and all 21 fixtures of 2024.
SMART COOKIES
For the 10th straight season, Washington has received the United Soccer Coaches Academic Award after earning a 3.67 team GPA.
MIA KICKS CANCER
Washington will be playing for far more than bragging rights and glory on the pitch in 2025, sporting an orange ribbon on the front of its jerseys in support of senior goalkeeper Mia Hamant, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 SMARCB1-deficient kidney cancer. Hamant hopes to return to the pitch in Purple and Gold but will not suit up on the pitch in 2025.
The California native, who recently celebrated her 21st birthday, did more than just perform in her first season as Washington's primary keeper a season ago, she starred. Hamant posted the nation's third-best save percentage in 2024 at .882, while UW collectively hailed the NCAA's top save percentage. Hamant's 0.66 goals against average was the third lowest in a season for a UW keeper, while her seven clean sheets were the sixth most in a season for a Husky.
Hamant, who also excels in the classroom at U Dub as a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District and Big Ten Fall All-Academic honoree, put UW on her back during Washington's postseason run last season. The Redwood HS product was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after making three penalty saves to lift UW over Iowa into the Big Ten Semifinals, then followed up with more penalty shootout excellence as UW advanced past No. 25 Utah State into the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
The UW community has rallied around Hamant, with several Husky programs donning orange ribbons in the standout shot stopper's honor. Additionally, a GoFundMe to support the various costs associated with Hamant's care has raised over $125,000 to date. Fans can follow along with Hamant's cancer journey on Instagram at @miakickscancer.
KEEP SLEEPING
Despite grossly outperforming its preseason prognostication of 13th in the 2024 Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll, finishing tied for 5th in the league table and advancing to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals, Washington once again is not predicted to be amongst the league's top teams. The Huskies were picked to finish ninth in the 2025 iteration of the preseason poll, with USC predicted to win this season's league crown.
2025 Big Ten Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. USC
2. UCLA
3. Penn State
4. Michigan State
5. Ohio State
6. Iowa
7. Wisconsin
8. Rutgers
9. Washington
10. Minnesota
11. Purdue
12. Nebraska
13. Michigan
14. Northwestern
15. Illinois
16. Oregon
17. Indiana
18. Maryland
LEFT SIDE, BEST SIDE
Of the 28 members of Washington's 2025 roster, 20 hail from West Coast states, featuring 11 natives of California, eight home state products from Washington and one product of the Portland suburbs in Oregon. However, Washington's squad spans the US and globe, with natives of Georgia, Kansas, Nevada and five internationals donning the Purple and Gold.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
For the second consecutive season, Washington returns every member of its coaching staff, retaining assistant coaches Cole Schmit, Raphael Cox and Kary Whitney to Nicole Van Dyke's staff. Previously Washington had not returned every member of its coaching staff since 2018.
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
This summer, Washington senior Lucy Newlin was one of two UW athletes selected as a Big Ten's Outstanding Sportsmanship Award honoree, along with baseball's Malakhi Knight. A two-way player on the pitch and in the classroom, Newlin leads through both words and actions, showing consummate respect and sportsmanship for both her teammates and opponents. The NorCal native is also a leader in the community for the Dawgs, consistently rating as one of UW's top participants in community service initiatives. On the field, the Newlin is expected to be a key cog to the Husky defense after battling through nagging injuries in 2024.
CROOTIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD
Washington spanned not only the country to bolster its roster in 2025, the Huskies searched all over the world to bring in the newest group of Dawgs. UW added five Europeans this summer in midfielder Laura Cetina (Spain/UMass Lowell), goalkeeper Cadi Doran (Wales/Liverpool FC), defender Julia Hüsch (Germany/UNC Asheville) and defender Anouk Westphal (Germany/Hertha BSC). Washington also returns junior Belgian international defender/midfielder Enora Matté, who is set to resume action after tearing her ACL during Big Ten play in 2024.
VEGAS BORN, SEATTLE PROUD
Hailing from the Las Vegas desert, Washington sophomore Andrea Leyva and her brother, Seattle Sounders midfielder Danny Leyva now call the Evergreen State home. Andrea appeared in 16 matches with 10 starts for UW as a freshman and was ranked as a four star recruit and the No. 39 prospect in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer. Meanwhile, Danny has played in 69 matches for Seattle's MLS club, becoming the third youngest player in league history after coming on as a late substitute in the Sounders' away loss to the Montreal Impact.
MENTI BE
The Leyva's are not the only sibling connection in Seattle. Anna and Sally Menti, who starred at Roosevelt High School, less than three miles from Husky Soccer Stadium, have shared different paths to playing in front of their home state fans. Sally was an All-American midfielder at Santa Clara before signing a short-term contract and later a two-year extension this season with the NWSL's Seattle Reign, making four appearances with one goal. Meanwhile, Anna is in her third season at UW, making 39 appearances with 25 starts and collecting two goals and two assists along the way.
For more information on Husky Women's Soccer, follow @UW_WSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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