SAN MARCOS, Calif. –  The Cal State San Marcos women's soccer team (1-0-0) will continue its homestand this week by facing Fresno Pacific (0-2) on Thursday at 3 p.m. before taking on RV Point Loma (0-0-1) on Saturday at 2 p.m. in The Cage.

LAST WEEK

• CSUSM opened its 2023 season with a 2-0 victory against The Master's last Thursday.
• Natalie Paulson scored the first goal of the season for the Cougars as her sister Danielle Paulson earned the assist.
• Hannah Ramos then scored a late corner kick goal to hand CSUSM the win.
• Both Natalie Paulson and Ramos scored their second-career goal.

THURSDAY AGAINST THE SUNBIRDS

• FPU began its season with a pair of losses to CCAA teams, falling 6-0 last Thursday at home against Cal State San Bernardino before taking a 3-2 loss to Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday.
• Mackenzie Madron and Maria Eir Magnusdottir have the Sunbirds' two goals for the year.
• FPU was voted to finish eighth in the 2023 Preseason PacWest Coaches Poll.
• The Sunbirds return 2022 All-PacWest selections Alena Schenk, Bryana Yoshida, Nadia Flores and Ariana Quintero.
• CSUSM is 5-1-1 against FPU in the all-time series and is 2-0 when playing in San Marcos.
• The Cougars are currently on a five-game unbeaten streak against the Sunbirds since 2011 as they earned a scoreless draw in 2022 after four consecutive wins.
• This will be FPU's first visit to San Marcos since 2016.
• CSUSM's lone loss in the series came in 2009 in Fresno.

CROSS-COUNTY FOES VISIT THE CAGE

• PLNU began its 2023 season on Saturday with a 2-2 draw against Cal State LA.
• Before visiting San Marcos, the Sea Lions will take on Cal Poly Pomona at home on Thursday.
• PLNU's first two goals of the season came from an own goal and Nikki Ross.
• PLNU was receiving votes in this week's United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25 Poll.
• The Sea Lions were voted to finish third in the 2023 Preseason PacWest Coaches Poll.
• Emma Thrapp was voted as the Preseason PacWest Defender of the Year.
• Joining Thrapp on the Preseason All-PacWest team were defender Naomi Ellis and forwards Zoe Crockett and Alana Diaz.
• CSUSM is 1-9-4 in the all-time series against PLNU with its lone win occurring in 2014.
• This will be the Sea Lions' first visit to San Marcos since 2018.
• The last seven games in the series have been decided by one or no goals.

 
THIS YEAR'S COUGARS

• CSUSM's 2023 roster consists of 31 student-athletes with 17 returners and 14 newcomers.
• The Cougars' return top scorers Claire Hernandez, Diana Mendoza and Jenna Frankina as each posted two goals in 2022.
• Hernandez earned All-CCAA second-team honors last season while Jenna Frankina, Natalia Huntington and Allison Marcure were honorable mentions.
• Because of last season's second-team honor, Hernandez was listed on the CCAA's 2023 Preseason Watchlist.
• Returning in goal for her redshirt junior season is Allison Marcure, who posted 51 saves and nine shutouts while playing all 1,620 minutes last season.
• CSUSM tied for sixth with Cal Poly Humboldt in the 2023 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll.

THE RENNEISEN FILE

• Head coach Bobby Renneisen enters his ninth year in charge of the women's program and 17th overall at CSUSM.
• Renneisen's 2018 team made its second consecutive CCAA Tournament appearance while also handing No. 1 UC San Diego its lone regular-season loss.
• Between 2006-13, Renneisen was an assistant/associate head coach for both the men's and women's soccer teams.
• As the women's head coach, Renneisen is 54-49-34 (.518) for his career with the Cougars.