Winning a title in sports usually is a time for celebration and reflection, to look back upon the road taken and all of the steps that it took to get to the top. Not for college soccer coaches. With the late fall and early winter teeming with showcase events, many teams and organizations go immediately from holding trophies to holding club pamphlets on sidelines. While it is a quick transition, the benefits of winning it all certainly help in the recruiting process.
Cal Lutheran‘s women’s soccer program is certainly seeing the positive impact of their recent success. The team, led by longtime head coach Frank Marino, won the NCAA Division III Championship in Fall 2023, defeating Washington University 1-0 to claim their first-ever national title. The win capped off an incredible run by the Regals, who finished the season 19-1-6 and went 9-0-3 in SCIAC Conference play.
In the NCAA Tournament, they defeated Pomona-Pitzer and Hardin-Simmons in successive rounds by 1-0 scorelines before shocking number one seed Christopher Newport 4-3 on penalties (1-1 at the end of regulation). In the Final Four, they once again found themselves needing to pull off of a result against a tough Tufts team. After drawing level 1-1 in regulation they once again showed their resolve, pulling out the 4-3 win in the shootout.
Although Cal Lutheran’s coaching staff missed out on the ECNL Phoenix Showcase and the Girls Academy Champions Cup and Showcase due to their tournament run, winning it all has helped their program during the college recruiting process.
“The interest in our program since winning has increased a ton,” said Marino. “The volume of emails we have received are more than any previous time I have been here.”
There has also been an uptick in players from other Division 1 and 2 programs showing interest in their team through the transfer portal. “The one main difference is more transfer portal players from D1 and D2 are reaching out to us. In the past it was definitely more us reaching out to players in the portal,” he said.
Players looking to join Cal Lutheran will certainly have the chance to play under one of the top coaching staffs in the country. Led by Marino, who has been with the program for 15 years and sports a 203-63-44 record during his time at Thousand Oaks, Cal Lutheran has become one of the top Division III women’s soccer teams in the country. Their staff, which includes Assistant Coaches Shannon Pennington, Chloe Montano, and Tony Castro and Goalkeeper Coach Tony Castro were named the United Soccer Coaches National Coaching Staff of the Year. They also earned Region X Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
Through their coaching staff, the Regals have found success in college recruiting, pulling in high-level players that match their philosophy and what they are looking to build each season. Last year, the team was led by midfielder Eden Quiroz, (United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American, All-Region X First Team), Isabella Veljacic (All-Region X First Team), Avery West (All-Region X First Team), and Ally Fisicaro (All-Region X Third Team).
“One of the biggest keys for us is finding players that fit our culture,” said Marino. “What makes us special and why we have had the success we have had is because we have really good players that are also great people. To be a Cal Lutheran Regal you have to be someone willing to build authentic relationships on and off the field and be apart of an extremely supportive environment.”
Academics and how the player chooses to spend their time off the field also play a major role in their college recruiting process. In addition to their exploits on the field, both Veljacic and West received United Soccer Coaches Second Team Scholar All-American First Team honors. Both players along with Fisicaro also received Scholar All-West Region honors as well.
“This is incredibly important and our program has really good students who value their academics,” he said. “Players ability to manage the off the field aspect and maintain a strong GPA shows they can manage their time and they will be successful with life after college. Being a college athlete is hard and we want players willing to put in the time and work to be as great as they can be.”
For players, finding that right fit for the next step in their careers can be a challenge. But as programs such as Cal Lutheran have shown, there are plenty of opportunities for players to learn and grow in the college soccer landscape.
“Be persistent in the recruiting process and don’t close off doors in the process,” said Marino. “It is important to find the right fit for you and don’t get caught up in the labels of each Division. Players from our program that transferred from a Division 1 program would tell you they wish they were here all four years because there is such value in a good team culture, winning and getting a great education.”
