ROCKLIN, Calif. - The 2025 Jessup Women's Soccer campaign featured many highlights, hard-fought matches, and lots of ups and downs as the Warriors fought through their second year of PacWest Conference play.
A turbulent season saw the Warriors finish 1-9-5 overall and 0-6-4 in the PacWest. While the overall record is not what the team would have hoped for, the battles the team showcased through its many draws and defensive bouts are ones the team will look to build on in future seasons.

Led by coach Amsalu Fantahun in his fourth season, the 2025 campaign started red-hot, as the Warriors would travel to Vallejo and defeat California Maritime 12-0 in an offensive fireworks show. The remainder of their non-conference schedule would feature games against Menlo (non-conference match), Cal State East Bay, and Chico State. Jessup would drop all three matches by scores of 1-0, 4-1, and 4-0, respectively.

The PacWest season would open on September 25th at Warrior Field, where Hawai'i Pacific came to town and played a hard-fought match that ended in a 0-0 draw, their first of the season. Draws would be a common occurrence throughout the conference season, as this would be their first of five. After a 2-0 loss to Hawai'i Hilo at home, the Warriors would head to Southern California to take on Biola, Vanguard, and Concordia. This road trip would see the Warriors take their second draw of the season in a 1-1 match against Biola, before dropping their games against Vanguard and Concordia to bring their record to 1-6-2. Another draw would come a week later at Fresno Pacific in a non-conference match with their conference opponent, but the Sunbirds would edge out a narrow victory in their PacWest match a week later in a highly contested 4-3 match.



After this stretch of games, the final moments of the 2025 season neared. November 1 would see senior day hosted at Warrior Field, the final home game of the Jessup Women's Soccer season. Seniors Abella Waterman, Celeste Fernandez, Oluwabukunmi Babatunde, Adelaide Mae Smith, Maylin Rivera, and Paulina Iñiguez were honored before the match, being recognized for their hard work and dedication to the program.

The match against Chaminade would end in a hard-fought 0-0 draw, setting the stage for perhaps the highlight match of the 2025 season. The Warriors would travel to San Diego to take on the eventual PacWest Tournament Champions, Point Loma, in a match that had major playoff implications for the Sea Lions. After 90 minutes, the Warriors were able to secure another draw by the score of 1-1. This match saw dramatic late-game goals for both teams, with Jessup's coming in the 84th minute while Point Loma was held scoreless until the final minute of regulation.

In the final game of the season, the Warriors would face their toughest opponent yet, as they traveled to Azusa Pacific, who would eventually reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. As for this match, there was no magic left for Jessup, as the Cougars would take care of business in a 2-0 match, clinching the PacWest regular season title with the win.



Despite their record, there were many highlight moments and players from throughout the year. Standouts for the 2025 team include Mackenzie Wright, who led the team with six goals on the year, as well as 10 points. Wright's outstanding season came on just 334 minutes across 11 matches. Mikayla Olariu was a constant presence on the field, appearing in all 15 matches, scoring four goals, and contributing to eight points on the year. Another standout player who contributed six points on the year was Paulina Iniguez, who scored two goals and two assists in just 208 minutes of action this season. Defending the net for the Warriors for much of the season was Celeste Fernandez, who recorded 60 saves across 14 games, two of which were shutout performances.

With a young core, a determined mindset, and a strong head coach, the Warriors have lots to build off of from the 2025 season. Despite their record, the team was a force within the conference and will look to build that reputation into one of the PacWests' most feared teams in the coming years. "We are confident that the experience gained this season, along with the continued growth of our program, will position us to achieve greater success and compete at a high level in 2026", said coach Amsalu Fantahun when asked about his outlook on the upcoming season.  
Jessup University is a provisional member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and the PacWest Conference. For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Instagram & X).