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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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Isaac Comelli, CSUB Athletic Communications

Women's Soccer

Soccer Looks To Improve, Opens 2018 Season With Back-to-Back Away Games



BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Following its first season without a bid to the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, the CSU Bakersfield women's soccer team looks to regain entry and contend for a WAC title.
 
The 2017 season brought adversity for the Roadrunners but also facilitated growth. Bakersfield returns 20 letterwinners and one redshirt while welcoming an incoming recruiting class of five freshmen and three transfers. 

The squad reported to campus July 30 for preseason training then tabbed a 2-0 exhibition win over The Master's University on Aug. 10. 
 
FORWARDS
The `Runners return a solid coreof veterans on the front line in Aminah Settles and Kamari Hines.
 
Hines ranked second on the team last season with five goals while Settles was close behind with four and finished the season with the most goals (20) and points (49) in Division I history. Bakersfield native Eszter Toth returns for her sophomore season after appearing in 16 matches and scoring one goal last year.
 
Seniors Claire Nelson and Tori VandeHoef also return for the `Runners, providing more depth for CSUB's attack force.
 
MIDFIELDERS
Bakersfield boasts 11 players in the midfield position. Sabrina Delgado, Sophie Freeman and Aryana Harvey highlight the group.
 
Delgado, who led CSUB in goals and points in 2016, is back for her final season on the pitch, while Freeman and Harvey enter their junior campaigns off efficient exhibition performances.
 
Sophomore Jordan Martinez and senior Coral Lake are also notable returning midfielders. As a freshman, Martinez scored one goal in the 2-2 draw at NM State.
 
DEFENDERS & GOALKEEPERS
Mel Cea returns for her final season with the Roadrunners. With the most total minutes played on the backline a year ago, Cea is expected to lead the group of defenders. She is joined by four other returners in the backline: Elle Estes, Keneika Jensen, Kinsey Saiz, and Anesa Sasivarevic.
 
CSUB returns goalkeeper Jordan Bertram, while welcoming redshirt sophomore Cass Tymchen and freshman Lucy Gomez. Bertram saw action in all 19 games played last season, logging 1,772 total minutes in goal with 85 saves.
 
NEWCOMERS
After a busy offseason recruiting, CSU Bakersfield welcomes eight newcomers to the program for the 2018 season.

The new `Runners include midfielder Gianna Bly, defender Chay Navares, midfielder Caitlin Goetjen, defender Mikayla Yoemans, forward Fran DelaCruz-Cabral, defender Ashley Waymire, and goalkeepers Gomez and Tymchen. 
 
COACHING STAFF
First-year head coach Sebastian Vecchio comes to Bakersfield with more than 15 years of coaching experience. He was previously an assistant coach at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas since 2015.
 
Prior to his days in Fort Worth, Vecchio made collegiate stops as the assistant coach at Vanderbilt University, Rice University and Memphis.
 
Along with a new group of freshman this season, Vecchio also welcomes two new staff members to his CSU Bakersfield soccer team in assistant coach Kate McArthur and graduate assistant coach Stephen Jenkins.
 
UP NEXT
CSU Bakersfield is set to open the 2018 season Friday night, Aug. 17, as the Roadrunner women will face Eastern Washington at 4 p.m. in Cheney, Wash. Then the `Runners will travel to Spokane, Wash. to compete against Gonzaga on Sunday. The matinee matchup is slated for a Noon start time.
 
Eastern Washington: This will be the eighth time CSUB takes on Eastern Washington in program history. During the 2016 season the Roadrunners hosted the Eagles at the Main Soccer Field and the contest ended in a 3-1 loss. EWU holds a slight 2-3-2 edge over CSUB in the all-time series.
 
To watch the game live from the Big Sky Conference, visit its website here or download the Pluto TV app and tune to Channel 234.
 
Gonzaga: This will be the fifth time Bakersfield sees West Coast Conference member Gonzaga University. During the 2015 season the `Runners suffered a 3-1 loss to the Zags at Luger Field in Spokane, Wash. A win on Sunday would mark a program-first in the all-time series.
 
To watch the game live from the West Coast Conference, visit its website here.
 
STAY UPDATED
To stay up-to-date with the women's soccer program follow along on Twitter, @CSUB_WSoccer.
 
~GoRunners.com~
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Players Mentioned

Jordan Bertram

#1 Jordan Bertram

GK
5' 7"
Junior
Mel Cea

#25 Mel Cea

D
5' 2"
Senior
Sabrina Delgado

#18 Sabrina Delgado

M
5' 5"
Senior
Elle Estes

#14 Elle Estes

D
5' 8"
Redshirt Junior
Sophie Freeman

#6 Sophie Freeman

D
5' 6"
Junior
Aryana Harvey

#16 Aryana Harvey

M
5' 7"
Redshirt Junior
Kamari Hines

#10 Kamari Hines

F
5' 4"
Redshirt Sophomore
Coral Lake

#11 Coral Lake

M
5' 5"
Senior
Jordan Martinez

#3 Jordan Martinez

M
5' 3"
Sophomore
Claire Nelson

#12 Claire Nelson

F
5' 11"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Jordan Bertram

#1 Jordan Bertram

5' 7"
Junior
GK
Mel Cea

#25 Mel Cea

5' 2"
Senior
D
Sabrina Delgado

#18 Sabrina Delgado

5' 5"
Senior
M
Elle Estes

#14 Elle Estes

5' 8"
Redshirt Junior
D
Sophie Freeman

#6 Sophie Freeman

5' 6"
Junior
D
Aryana Harvey

#16 Aryana Harvey

5' 7"
Redshirt Junior
M
Kamari Hines

#10 Kamari Hines

5' 4"
Redshirt Sophomore
F
Coral Lake

#11 Coral Lake

5' 5"
Senior
M
Jordan Martinez

#3 Jordan Martinez

5' 3"
Sophomore
M
Claire Nelson

#12 Claire Nelson

5' 11"
Senior
F
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