HAYWARD, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay women's soccer team will open the 2018 season with a set of home matches against Academy of Art and Fresno Pacific.
 
This will be the first career game as a Pioneer for head coach Robin Hart after spending the 2017 season as the head coach at Menlo College in Atherton, Calif. In her first season at Menlo, Hart guided the Oaks to an 11-5-3 overall record, the program's best since 2014, while out-scoring opponents 34-17 for the season. Menlo received votes on the NAIA top-25 poll for the first time in program history, with three of Hart's players selected to the All-Golden State Athletic Conference Team and one named an NAIA All-American. She had five student-athletes earn a spot on the GSAC Scholar Team as the squad posted a 3.31 collective grade point average.
 
Cal State East Bay was picked to finish 12th in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Preseason Coaches Poll.
 
The Pioneers will return a handful of players from last season's team that posted a 4-12-2 record with a 1-9-2 mark in California Collegiate Athletic Association play. Abby Buitrago, Aulani Fernandez and Lauren McDougal along with defenders Jamie McPherson, Allison Smith and Savannah Schultz all played prominent roles for the Pioneers in 2017.
 
Abby Buitrago led CSUEB with five goals and 11 points on the season. Aulani was second on the squad with four goals, an assist and nine points, while Lauren McDougal paced the Pioneers with four assists to go along with two goals. Savannah Schultz, Jamie McPherson and Allison Smith all played in all 18 games last season with Schultz and McPherson starting 18 games and Smith starting 16 games respectively.
 
East Bay will also look for contributions this season from Briana Vasquez-Ortiz, Kellie Murphy, Chace Miguel, Liz Hernandez, Kayla Morales, Halee Yeager, Keionna Claypoole, Annika Blom, Andrea Aborqui and Devany Wolfe.
 
The ARTU Urban Knights feature a large returning senior class with midfielders Silvia Fernstom and Alice Michell, defender/midfielder Chayney Mata, midfielder Rocky Herrera, forward Dani Tellez, and goalkeeper Morgan Wirz. That crew of leaders collectively played over 5,470 minutes last season finishing with a 1-16-1 record.
 
The Fresno State Sunbirds were picked to win the PacWest Conference this season after finishing last season with the highest finish in program history. Midfielder Whitney Snow and defender Alyssa Kincade were each selected to the Preseason All-League Team, while both of FPU's leading goal scorers from last season are back to lead the scoring attack.