SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The (RV) Cal State San Marcos women's soccer team (1-1-0) will travel to Azusa Pacific for a 5 p.m. game on Thursday before celebrating Senior Day at The Cage against Colorado State Pueblo (1-0-1) on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
 
Prior to Sunday's game, CSUSM will honor seniors Kendall Swist and Sammy Villaseñor.
 
LAST WEEK

• CSUSM went toe-to-toe against No. 1 Point Loma at The Cage on Thursday but fell 2-1 in the season opener.
• The Cougars then claimed their first win of the season with a 1-0 shutout at Westmont on Saturday.
• Because of their play, CSUSM received votes in this week's United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll.

 
THURSDAY AT APU

• APU is off to a 2-0 start with a 3-1 win against Cal Poly Humboldt and a 3-0 win at home against Sonoma State.
• Avery Guiel is responsible for three of APU's six goals this season.
• APU was picked to finish fourth in the 2024 PacWest Preseason Coaches Poll after finishing fourth with a 5-1-4 conference record in 2023.
• APU has eight starters back, including four All-PacWest players - Sophia Emerson, Gianna Ocello, Aubrey Dunaway and Avery Guiel.
• The two Cougar squads will meet each other for the sixth time overall and the first time since 2022 in San Marcos.
• CSUSM will be looking for its first-ever win against APU as it is 0-4-1 in the all-time series.
• CSUSM's lone goal scored in the five meetings against APU came in 2007.

SENIOR DAY AGAINST COLORADO STATE PUEBLO

• CSUSM and Colorado State Pueblo will compete against each other for the first time on Sunday.
• The ThunderWolves are off to a 1-0-1 start as it began the season with a 1-1 draw at Fort Hays State before earning a 1-0 win against Rockhurst.
• Before facing CSUSM, CSU Pueblo will travel to Cal State San Bernardino on Friday afternoon.
• The ThunderWolves were picked to finish eighth in the 2024 RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll after finishing tied for sixth with a 5-3-4 conference record while going 7-4-6 overall.
• CSU Pueblo's top point scorer in 2023 was returning midfielder Cortney Cowles as she finished the year with 14 points, six goals and two assists while earning All-RMAC second-team honors.

2024 OUTLOOK

• After a historic 2023 season, CSUSM was just barely picked to finish second in 2024 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll, finishing one point behind Cal Poly Pomona.
• The Cougars' roster of 32 includes 22 returners and 10 newcomers who are all freshmen.
• Returners Natalia Huntington, Nani Kia'aina, Allison Marcure and Natalie Paulson were named to the 2024 CCAA Women's Soccer Watchlist after earning first or second-team All-CCAA honors in 2023 or were voted to the CCAA All-Tournament Team.
• Natalie Paulson was the 2023 CCAA Player and Defender of the Year and went on to earn All-America first-team and All-Region honors.
• Of CSUSM's 32 goals scored in 2023, 28 of them were scored by 2024 returners.

THE RENNEISEN FILE

• Head coach Bobby Renneisen enters his 11th year in charge of the women's program and 19th overall at CSUSM.
• Renneisen coached the Cougars to their first CCAA Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023 with an 11-3-6 (6-0-5 CCAA) record while finishing second in the CCAA standings.
• Renneisen and his assistant coaches were named the 2023 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II West Region Staff of the Year.
• 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 65-53-41 (.538) for his career with the Cougars.