Thursday, September 11
Los Angeles, Calif.
7:00 p.m. PT
University of Washington
at
USC
Washington Visits Tinsel Town, Opens Big Ten Play At USC Thursday
September 10, 2025 | Women's Soccer
LOS ANGELES βΒ Leaving the borders of Washington for just the second time in 2025, the Washington women's soccer team hits the road for LA to open up Big Ten play, taking on USC at the newly built Rawlinson Stadium at 7:00 p.m. PT on Thursday.
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The match will be televised nation wide on the Big Ten Network, and can also be streamed on line at FoxSports.com. Links to live coverage are available on the women's soccer schedule page at GoHuskies.com.
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SCOUTING USC
Jane Alukonis, the 2024 Big Ten Coach of the Year, is in her fourth season leading the USC program, leading the Trojans to the Big Ten Regular Season Championship in its first season in the conference.
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USC, ranked No. 5 in the 2025 United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll, comes in at No. 15 in the most recent edition of the rankings. The Trojans are Washington's first ranked opponent of the season.
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Picked to repeat as Big Ten Champions by the league's coaches during the preseason, USC enters Thursday's tilt with a 3-1-1 record, having most recently suffered a 5-1 loss to then No. 1 Stanford at Rawlinson Stadium. The Trojans have not yet played a match away from their new home.
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The Trojans lead the Big Ten and rank 14th in the nation at 3.00 assists per match, racking up 14 helpers on just 12 total goals for the season.
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USC is led in scoring by three different players with three goals apiece. Among the group is sophomore forward Jaiden Anderson, sophomore midfielder and 2024 Big Ten All-Freshman selection Ines Derrien and 2023 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, junior forward maribel Flores. Anderson has also added three assists to lead USC with nine points.
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Graduate student Bella Grust is in her first season serving as the Trojans' primary keeper, starting all five matches and coming out of goal for just under 20 minutes. Grust owns a 1.46 goals against average, posting 16 saves for a .696 save percentage.
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SERIES HISTORY
In 31 all-time meetings between the two sides, USC leads the series with Washington at 19-9-3, including 13-3-1 on its home field. The Huskies have dropped the last three meetings with the Trojans and have not beaten USC since recording a 2-0 victory in LA in 2019.
LAST MEETING (9/12/24)
SEATTLE - Washington and USC battled through a hard fought Big Ten opener Thursday night, with the Trojans coming out on top 1-0 at Husky Soccer Stadium.
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The Huskies led in shots on the night, putting forth 14 attempts at the Trojans goal, compared to 10 shots from USC. Both sides put five shots on goal.
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The decisive moment came in the 21st minute when Helena Sampaio hit the side netting on a shot from the top of the 18, putting home what ended up being the match winner.
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Andrea Leyva nearly pulled UW even in the 42nd minute, whipping in a bending direct free kick from distance that forced Trojan keeper Laurence Gladu to tip the shot over the bar.
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The Huskies created a few more half chances throughout the rest of the match but couldn't put together the final ball, conceding all three points to USC.
STARTING STRONG
Washington has gotten off to quick starts all season, with eight of UW's 11 goals for the season coming in the first half, including five goals inside the first 25 minutes of a match. The Huskies have led at the break in six-of-seven matches in 2025.
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DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
Washington has allowed just four goals this season, the same scoring output the Huskies allowed during the 2024 season in which UW matched the program record for goals conceded in a single season at 12. The Huskies have allowed four goals or fewer through seven matches in four of six seasons under head coach Nicole Van Dyke.
PROLIFIC PACE
Jadyn Holdenried's four goals during non-conference play matched her scoring output from her first two complete collegiate seasons combined. Holdenried ranks tied for sixth in the Big Ten in both goals and points, playing a role in six of UW's 11 goals this season.
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WELCOME BACK, DAWGS
Washington has seen two players return from season-ending ACL injuries in 2025. Maggie Dutra made her collegiate debut against Idaho after going down during the 2024 preseason, while Enora Matté has come off the bench in each of the last four matches, her first action since injuring her knee against Purdue a season ago.
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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.
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Nguyen has gotten her senior season off to a strong start, scoring her first career goal against Idaho. Nguyen has made 17 career appearances for Washington.
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, made 35 consecutive starts for Washington before a one-match ban to start the season and contributed to 24 clean sheets throughout her illustrious UW career, including 22 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.
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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.
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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.
SMART COOKIES
For the 10th straight season, Washington has received the United Soccer Coaches Academic Award after earning a 3.67 team GPA.
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STARTING XI FIXTURE
Since making seven-straight starts to end her freshman campaign, Kelsey Branson has not failed to crack the Huskies' starting XI a single time, a streak spanning 54 consecutive matches. Branson was the only Husky to start all 19 matches in 2023 and all 21 fixtures of 2024.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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 has appeared in 23 matches with 13 starts for UW and was ranked as a four star recruit and the No. 39 prospect in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer. Meanwhile, Danny has played in 96 matches in the MLS (80 for Seattle), 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 10 appearances with one goal. Meanwhile, Anna is in her third season at UW, making 44 appearances with 30 starts and collecting two goals and two assists along the way.
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For more information on Husky Women's Soccer, follow @UW_WSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
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The match will be televised nation wide on the Big Ten Network, and can also be streamed on line at FoxSports.com. Links to live coverage are available on the women's soccer schedule page at GoHuskies.com.
Β
SCOUTING USC
Jane Alukonis, the 2024 Big Ten Coach of the Year, is in her fourth season leading the USC program, leading the Trojans to the Big Ten Regular Season Championship in its first season in the conference.
Β
USC, ranked No. 5 in the 2025 United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll, comes in at No. 15 in the most recent edition of the rankings. The Trojans are Washington's first ranked opponent of the season.
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Picked to repeat as Big Ten Champions by the league's coaches during the preseason, USC enters Thursday's tilt with a 3-1-1 record, having most recently suffered a 5-1 loss to then No. 1 Stanford at Rawlinson Stadium. The Trojans have not yet played a match away from their new home.
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The Trojans lead the Big Ten and rank 14th in the nation at 3.00 assists per match, racking up 14 helpers on just 12 total goals for the season.
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USC is led in scoring by three different players with three goals apiece. Among the group is sophomore forward Jaiden Anderson, sophomore midfielder and 2024 Big Ten All-Freshman selection Ines Derrien and 2023 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, junior forward maribel Flores. Anderson has also added three assists to lead USC with nine points.
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Graduate student Bella Grust is in her first season serving as the Trojans' primary keeper, starting all five matches and coming out of goal for just under 20 minutes. Grust owns a 1.46 goals against average, posting 16 saves for a .696 save percentage.
Β
SERIES HISTORY
In 31 all-time meetings between the two sides, USC leads the series with Washington at 19-9-3, including 13-3-1 on its home field. The Huskies have dropped the last three meetings with the Trojans and have not beaten USC since recording a 2-0 victory in LA in 2019.
LAST MEETING (9/12/24)
SEATTLE - Washington and USC battled through a hard fought Big Ten opener Thursday night, with the Trojans coming out on top 1-0 at Husky Soccer Stadium.
Β
The Huskies led in shots on the night, putting forth 14 attempts at the Trojans goal, compared to 10 shots from USC. Both sides put five shots on goal.
Β
The decisive moment came in the 21st minute when Helena Sampaio hit the side netting on a shot from the top of the 18, putting home what ended up being the match winner.
Β
Andrea Leyva nearly pulled UW even in the 42nd minute, whipping in a bending direct free kick from distance that forced Trojan keeper Laurence Gladu to tip the shot over the bar.
Β
The Huskies created a few more half chances throughout the rest of the match but couldn't put together the final ball, conceding all three points to USC.
STARTING STRONG
Washington has gotten off to quick starts all season, with eight of UW's 11 goals for the season coming in the first half, including five goals inside the first 25 minutes of a match. The Huskies have led at the break in six-of-seven matches in 2025.
Β
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
Washington has allowed just four goals this season, the same scoring output the Huskies allowed during the 2024 season in which UW matched the program record for goals conceded in a single season at 12. The Huskies have allowed four goals or fewer through seven matches in four of six seasons under head coach Nicole Van Dyke.
PROLIFIC PACE
Jadyn Holdenried's four goals during non-conference play matched her scoring output from her first two complete collegiate seasons combined. Holdenried ranks tied for sixth in the Big Ten in both goals and points, playing a role in six of UW's 11 goals this season.
Β
WELCOME BACK, DAWGS
Washington has seen two players return from season-ending ACL injuries in 2025. Maggie Dutra made her collegiate debut against Idaho after going down during the 2024 preseason, while Enora Matté has come off the bench in each of the last four matches, her first action since injuring her knee against Purdue a season ago.
Β
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.
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Nguyen has gotten her senior season off to a strong start, scoring her first career goal against Idaho. Nguyen has made 17 career appearances for Washington.
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, made 35 consecutive starts for Washington before a one-match ban to start the season and contributed to 24 clean sheets throughout her illustrious UW career, including 22 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.
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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.
Β
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.
SMART COOKIES
For the 10th straight season, Washington has received the United Soccer Coaches Academic Award after earning a 3.67 team GPA.
Β
STARTING XI FIXTURE
Since making seven-straight starts to end her freshman campaign, Kelsey Branson has not failed to crack the Huskies' starting XI a single time, a streak spanning 54 consecutive matches. Branson was the only Husky to start all 19 matches in 2023 and all 21 fixtures of 2024.
Β
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.
Β
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.
Β
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.
Β
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.
Β
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.
Β
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.
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.
Β
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.
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.
Β
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 has appeared in 23 matches with 13 starts for UW and was ranked as a four star recruit and the No. 39 prospect in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer. Meanwhile, Danny has played in 96 matches in the MLS (80 for Seattle), 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 10 appearances with one goal. Meanwhile, Anna is in her third season at UW, making 44 appearances with 30 starts and collecting two goals and two assists along the way.
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For more information on Husky Women's Soccer, follow @UW_WSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
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Players Mentioned
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