SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos women's soccer team will open its 2024 season by hosting top-ranked and 2023 NCAA Division II National Champion Point Loma on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. before traveling to Santa Barbara to face Westmont on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
 
LAST SEASON

• CSUSM had a historic 2023 season that saw the Cougars win their first CCAA Tournament Championship and make their NCAA Tournament debut.
• The Cougars concluded the regular season with a second-place finish in the conference standings – its best since joining the conference in 2015.
• Defender Natalie Paulson was named the 2024 CCAA Player and Defender of the Year and went on to earn All-America first team and All-Region honors.
• Paulson was also named to the CSC Academic All-America second team.
• CSUSM had a program-high seven student-athletes earn All-CCAA honors.

 
2024 OUTLOOK

• 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.
• Of CSUSM's 32 goals scored in 2023, 28 of them were scored by 2024 returners.

SEASON OPENER AGAINST THE SEA LIONS

• Point Loma claimed its first national championship in 2023 after finishing with an overall record of 17-3-1.
• PLNU came in at No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25.
• The Sea Lions were picked to repeat as PacWest Conference Champions in the 2024 Preseason Coaches Poll after going 8-2 in league play last year.
• Point Loma returns 26 players, including All-American and PacWest Defender of the Year Emma Thrapp. The Sea Lions lost just five players from the 2023 roster.
• The Cougars and Sea Lions tangled last season and saw PLNU come away with a 2-0 win in San Marcos.
• PLNU has won the past four meetings against CSUSM and leads the all-time series at 10-1-4.
• This will be CSUSM's first time hosting PLNU in back-to-back seasons.
• The Cougars are 1-1 all-time when facing the No. 1 team in NCAA Division II, both times at home against UC San Diego. CSUSM posted a 1-0 win over the top-ranked Tritons in 2018.

SATURDAY AGAINST THE WARRIORS

• After spending the 2023 season as a provisional NCAA Division II member in the PacWest Conference, Westmont was granted full membership for the 2024 season.
• The Warriors finished sixth in the PacWest Conference standings last season with a 5-3-2 record while finishing with an overall record of 7-4-5.
• Westmont returns 26 players from last year's roster, including All-PacWest second-teamers Amelia Villa and Amarys Machado.
• The Warriors were picked to finish fifth in the 2024 PacWest Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Westmont will open its 2024 season on Thursday night at Cal State LA.
• CSUSM is 4-2-1 in the all-time series against Westmont.
• The Cougars and Warriors met last season in San Marcos and saw CSUSM earn a 5-0 win.

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 64-52-41 (.538) for his career with the Cougars.