Warriors Start Campaign as Defending Champs
August 9, 2023
By Francisco Claudio
The Westcliff women's soccer team has begun its 2023 campaign as defending Cal Pac Tournament champs and the team is in high spirits after completing their offseason.
Head Coach Jack Gidney is ready to lead the team through it all again after last year's success: "We feel really good. We added a lot of intrinsically motivated individuals. A lot of leaders from other programs. Everything feels like it has more intent. We are happy with our start."
The Warriors will go into this season with a different perspective and expectation from previous years, especially now that everyone will be targeting the defending champs.
But this program spearheaded by Coach Gidney and the amazing coaching staff has worked hard to create a championship culture in a short time frame.
"This year will be tough," Gidney said. "With the turnover after winning a Conference Championship, you put a target on your back. People prepare a little more intensely for you.
"Study you in a little more detail. It will be tough. Same as last year, we hope to qualify for the playoffs and then take each game as it comes after that."
Last season the Warriors went 9-3 against Cal Pac Conference opponents and finished with a 12-5-2 overall record.
This time around Westcliff will kick off the 2023 season with a scrimmage at home against Bethesda University on Friday, August 11th, at 6pm.
The Warrior's first official match will be on Monday, August 21st against Hope International at the Great Park.
There will be a couple of games in between before they start conference play in what will be a rematch of the Cal Pac Tournament final against Embry-Riddle.
The Warriors will host ERAU in the stadium of the OC Great Park on Thursday, September 7th, at 7pm.
Some notable student-athletes to look out for this season and what they are able to display on the field are Jaida Wilson, Christine Thorvaldsen, and Alberte Angersbach.
Wilson is a very accomplished central defender who came over from Cal State Fullerton.
Thorvaldsen who is the team's captain returns this year as the Defensive Player of the Year in the Cal Pac and an All American Honorable Mention.
"Thorvaldsen is the ultimate Warrior," Gidney said. "Never gets beat, with an incredible drive and will to win. A top performer who sets the tone."
Angerbach returns this year after having her season cut short because of injuries.
"We lost Angersbach for a large part of last year due to injury and she has come back looking sharp and fit so we are interested to see what impact she will make with full health," Gidney said.
The Warriors will also rely on some of their other leaders like vice captains Sierra Rangel and Sofie Fagereng.
"Si and Sofie formed such a great partnership in the middle of midfield for us last year," Gidney said. "Both calm demeanors, good human beings that set the tempo.
"Great communicators."
As the Warriors get ready to start a new chapter, the experience from last year and the reload they had of new players will be something they look to find a balance in.
"Last year felt like organized chaos," Gidney said. "We were new to the program, new to the conference. There was little time to put in preparation for the foundations of the program.
"We were still winning over the group and earning faith and trust with them. There was so much going on."
Now we turn the page over to this season.
"This year feels more settled," Gidney said. "Nearly all the players in the program were brought in by this current staff, and we have established success as current champions.
"Everything feels calmer, more prepared, more structured. Just smoother all around. It doesn't always translate into immediate success but we are now viewed as one of the top programs in the conference and we want to make sure that we put the pieces in place for repeatable competitiveness over the next decade for this program, so that has been our main focus in the offseason."
It's almost time, so make sure you pack your gear and some sunscreen as you go support your Westcliff Warriors.
Hope to see you on the field!