Husky Women’s Soccer Looks To Stay Hot Thursday At Penn State
October 08, 2025 | Women's Soccer
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Sitting top of the table with three weeks left in the regular season, the Washington women's soccer team hits the road for a pair of matches out east, beginning with a Thursday night matchup with Penn State.
Kickoff from Jeffrey Field is set for 4:00 p.m. PT, with the match available for streaming through B1G+. Links to live coverage are available on the women's soccer schedule page at GoHuskies.com.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State is in its 19th season under head coach Erica Dambach, who has built the Nittany Lion program into one of the premier units in the nation. Dambach owns nearly 300 wins during her PSU career alone, guiding the Nittany Lions to 11 Big Ten regular season titles and the 2015 National Championship.
Penn State enters Thursday's matchup in State College with a 7-4-2 overall record, tied for sixth in the Big Ten table at 3-2-1 in conference action. The Nittany Lions are coming off of a two win week on the road, besting Northwestern and Rutgers by matching 2-1 scorelines.
The Nittany Lion attack, the second most potent in the Big Ten with 28 goals, is led by the duo of sophomore forward Aubrey Kulpa and graduate student forward Kaitlyn MacBean, combining for eight and seven goals, respectively, ranking second and third in the Big Ten. Senior midfielder Riley Gleason has dished out nine assists on the season, the second most in the nation.
Junior keeper Mackenzie Gress is back in goal for her second season as PSU's primary option between the posts. Gress owns a 1.29 goals against average with 16 goals conceded in 13 matches, registering 31 saves for a .660 percentage.
SERIES HISTORY
Washington and Penn State have squared off four times previously, with the series dormant for 15 years since the 2010 season. The Huskies are 3-1-0 all-time against the Nittany Lions, dropping the only previous visit to State College in 2005, 3-2.
LAST MEETING (9/10/10)
PORTLAND, Ore. - In a tough battle with a Big Ten team, the Washington Husky women's soccer team came out on top with a hard fought 2-1 victory over Penn State Friday night.
The Dawgs controlled the ball most of the first half, taking a 2-0 lead at the half. Penn State came out in the second half and scored its only goal of the game late, making several attempts to tie or even take the lead. However, the Husky defense was sharp all night as seniors Kendyl Pele and Hannah Greig and freshmen Brianna Sweeney and Lindsey Bos were brilliant in the back.
Jane Mitchell scored the first goal of the game for either team in the 10th minute. The goal came from 25 yards out and was assisted by senior McKenna Waitley.
The second goal came from junior Kate Deines in the 30th minute. The goal was scored on a free kick and the assist was from Pele.
The Penn State goal came in the 84th minute by Maya Hayes. The ball was deflected off of Husky goalkeeper Kari Davidson and put in the back of the net.
Davidson made four saves in the game. Krissy Tribbett was the losing keeper for Penn State, making two saves.
STARTING STRONG
Washington has gotten off to quick starts all season, with 12 of UW's 19 goals for the season coming in the first half, including seven goals inside the first 25 minutes of a match. The Huskies have led at the break in 10-of-13 matches in 2025 and have yet to concede a first half goal.
CAN'T BE BEAT
Washington's six-match unbeaten streak to open conference play is its longest since winning the first eight Pac-10 matches of the 2000 season. It is just the second time in the 35-year history of the UW women's soccer program that the Huskies have remained unbeaten through six league matches.
JUNIOR YEAR JUMP
Jadyn Holdenried's third season at Washington has been a breakout campaign, with the junior scoring six goals in 2025, two more than her first two seasons combined. Holdenried ranks tied for second in the nation with four match-winning goals, ranking tied for third in the Big Ten with 15 total points.
TINSEL TOWN TAKEDOWN
For the third time in program-history, Washington has defeated both of its LA-based conference foes. En route to earning top-15 victories over USC and UCLA, the stout Husky defense held the Trojans and Bruins to season-low totals in shots.
Washington made a statement in its Big Ten opener at No. 15 USC, defeating the Trojans 1-0 at Rawlinson Stadium. It was UW's first road win over a ranked opponent since topping then-No. 7 USC in 2019.
The Dawgs then locked up No. 4 UCLA in a 1-0 victory in Seattle to leapfrog to the top of the Big Ten table, Washington's highest-ranked win since 2017. Putting forth a ferocious defensive effort, UW held the Bruins without a first half shot, a feat that had not occurred since 2018.
The two wins netted Washington five Big Ten Player of the Week honors in total as Alex Buck and Kolo Suliafu earned respective Big Ten Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week nods following the win at USC, while Jadyn Holdenried, Maya Loudd and Maylen Montoya were tabbed Offensive Player, Defensive Player and Freshman of the Week after UW's win over UCLA.
GIANT KILLERS
Washington has defeated a top-5 team for the first time in program history with wins over No. 5 Michigan State (2024) and No. 4 UCLA (2025) at home.
YOU CAN FIND ME IN DA CLUB
One of the more unique paths to the Husky roster comes from junior Avery Nguyen, who was offered a roster spot prior to the start of the 2023 season after a trial during preseason training. A native of the Kansas City metro area and a former standout for Olathe Northwest High School and Sporting Blue Valley, Nguyen led the UW club team in scoring as a college freshman in 2022.
Nguyen got her senior season off to a strong start, scoring her first career goal against Idaho. Nguyen has made 24 career appearances for Washington.
ALL ROADS CLOSED
The stout Husky defensive unit, which tied the program record for fewest goals allowed in a single season in 2024, surrendering just 12, is led by senior centerback Kolo Suliafu, who was named to the United Soccer Coaches' Defenders to Watch list. Suliafu, a Second Team All-Big Ten and United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection, made 35 consecutive starts for Washington before a one-match ban to start the season and contributed to 28 clean sheets throughout her illustrious UW career, including 26 as a member of the starting XI. Suliafu was also ranked as the No. 91 player in all of women's college soccer in TopDrawerSoccer's annual preseason top-100 list.
WATCH OUT!
Suliafu was joined on the Big Ten Players to Watch List by a pair of teammates in junior midfielder Samiah Shell and fifth year Laura Cetina. It was Suliafu's second consecutive appearance on the preseason list.
Shell, a native of Auburn, Washington, is Washington's leading returning scorer with five goals during a breakout sophomore campaign. A former participant in the prestigious High School All-American Game, Shell also dished out three assists in 2024 for 13 total points. The Auburn Riverside HS product opened her Husky scoring account with a goal at No. 10 Santa Clara, also adding a brace in UW's Big Ten road victory over Maryland.
Meanwhile, Cetina is a fresh face to Montlake, joining Washington after playing the last two seasons at UMass Lowell, the former home of Husky All-Big Ten standout Ioanna Papatheodorou. Cetina brings a winning pedigree in tow, having guided Eastern Florida State College to its first-ever NJCAA National Championship in 2021. Prior to coming stateside, the A Coruña, Spain, native scored 38 goals over four seasons for Spanish club Victoria C.F.
STARTING XI FIXTURE
Since making seven-straight starts to end her freshman campaign, Kelsey Branson has not failed to crack the Huskies' starting XI a single time, a streak spanning 60 consecutive matches. Branson was the only Husky to start all 19 matches in 2023 and all 21 fixtures of 2024.
SMART COOKIES
For the 10th straight season, Washington has received the United Soccer Coaches Academic Award after earning a 3.67 team GPA.
MIA KICKS CANCER
Washington will be playing for far more than bragging rights and glory on the pitch in 2025, sporting an orange ribbon on the front of its jerseys in support of senior goalkeeper Mia Hamant, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 SMARCB1-deficient kidney cancer. Hamant hopes to return to the pitch in Purple and Gold but will not suit up on the pitch in 2025.
The California native, who recently celebrated her 21st birthday, did more than just perform in her first season as Washington's primary keeper a season ago, she starred. Hamant posted the nation's third-best save percentage in 2024 at .882, while UW collectively hailed the NCAA's top save percentage. Hamant's 0.66 goals against average was the third lowest in a season for a UW keeper, while her seven clean sheets were the sixth most in a season for a Husky.
Hamant, who also excels in the classroom at U Dub as a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District and Big Ten Fall All-Academic honoree, put UW on her back during Washington's postseason run last season. The Redwood HS product was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after making three penalty saves to lift UW over Iowa into the Big Ten Semifinals, then followed up with more penalty shootout excellence as UW advanced past No. 25 Utah State into the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
The UW community has rallied around Hamant, with several Husky programs donning orange ribbons in the standout shot stopper's honor. Additionally, a GoFundMe to support the various costs associated with Hamant's care has raised over $125,000 to date. Fans can follow along with Hamant's cancer journey on Instagram at @miakickscancer.
KEEP SLEEPING
Despite grossly outperforming its preseason prognostication of 13th in the 2024 Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll, finishing tied for 5th in the league table and advancing to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals, Washington once again is not predicted to be amongst the league's top teams. The Huskies were picked to finish ninth in the 2025 iteration of the preseason poll, with USC predicted to win this season's league crown.
2025 Big Ten Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. USC
2. UCLA
3. Penn State
4. Michigan State
5. Ohio State
6. Iowa
7. Wisconsin
8. Rutgers
9. Washington
10. Minnesota
11. Purdue
12. Nebraska
13. Michigan
14. Northwestern
15. Illinois
16. Oregon
17. Indiana
18. Maryland
LEFT SIDE, BEST SIDE
Of the 28 members of Washington's 2025 roster, 20 hail from West Coast states, featuring 11 natives of California, eight home state products from Washington and one product of the Portland suburbs in Oregon. However, Washington's squad spans the US and globe, with natives of Georgia, Kansas, Nevada and five internationals donning the Purple and Gold.
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
This summer, Washington senior Lucy Newlin was one of two UW athletes selected as a Big Ten's Outstanding Sportsmanship Award honoree, along with baseball's Malakhi Knight. A two-way player on the pitch and in the classroom, Newlin leads through both words and actions, showing consummate respect and sportsmanship for both her teammates and opponents. The NorCal native is also a leader in the community for the Dawgs, consistently rating as one of UW's top participants in community service initiatives. On the field, the Newlin is expected to be a key cog to the Husky defense after battling through nagging injuries in 2024.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
For the second consecutive season, Washington returns every member of its coaching staff, retaining assistant coaches Cole Schmit, Raphael Cox and Kary Whitney to Nicole Van Dyke's staff. Previously Washington had not returned every member of its coaching staff since 2018.
CROOTIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD
Washington spanned not only the country to bolster its roster in 2025, the Huskies searched all over the world to bring in the newest group of Dawgs. UW added five Europeans this summer in midfielder Laura Cetina (Spain/UMass Lowell), goalkeeper Cadi Doran (Wales/Liverpool FC), defender Julia Hüsch (Germany/UNC Asheville) and defender Anouk Westphal (Germany/Hertha BSC). Washington also returns junior Belgian international defender/midfielder Enora Matté, who is set to resume action after tearing her ACL during Big Ten play in 2024.
VEGAS BORN, SEATTLE PROUD
Hailing from the Las Vegas desert, Washington sophomore Andrea Leyva and her brother, Seattle Sounders midfielder Danny Leyva now call the Evergreen State home. Andrea has appeared in 26 matches with 13 starts for UW and was ranked as a four star recruit and the No. 39 prospect in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer. Meanwhile, Danny has played in 98 matches in the MLS (82 for Seattle), becoming the third youngest player in league history after coming on as a late substitute in the Sounders' away loss to the Montreal Impact.
MENTI BE
The Leyva's are not the only sibling connection in Seattle. Anna and Sally Menti, who starred at Roosevelt High School, less than three miles from Husky Soccer Stadium, have shared different paths to playing in front of their home state fans. Sally was an All-American midfielder at Santa Clara before signing a short-term contract and later a two-year extension this season with the NWSL's Seattle Reign, making 14 appearances with one goal and one assist. Meanwhile, Anna is in her third season at UW, making 49 appearances with 35 starts and collecting two goals and two assists along the way.
For more information on Husky Women's Soccer, follow @UW_WSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
Kickoff from Jeffrey Field is set for 4:00 p.m. PT, with the match available for streaming through B1G+. Links to live coverage are available on the women's soccer schedule page at GoHuskies.com.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State is in its 19th season under head coach Erica Dambach, who has built the Nittany Lion program into one of the premier units in the nation. Dambach owns nearly 300 wins during her PSU career alone, guiding the Nittany Lions to 11 Big Ten regular season titles and the 2015 National Championship.
Penn State enters Thursday's matchup in State College with a 7-4-2 overall record, tied for sixth in the Big Ten table at 3-2-1 in conference action. The Nittany Lions are coming off of a two win week on the road, besting Northwestern and Rutgers by matching 2-1 scorelines.
The Nittany Lion attack, the second most potent in the Big Ten with 28 goals, is led by the duo of sophomore forward Aubrey Kulpa and graduate student forward Kaitlyn MacBean, combining for eight and seven goals, respectively, ranking second and third in the Big Ten. Senior midfielder Riley Gleason has dished out nine assists on the season, the second most in the nation.
Junior keeper Mackenzie Gress is back in goal for her second season as PSU's primary option between the posts. Gress owns a 1.29 goals against average with 16 goals conceded in 13 matches, registering 31 saves for a .660 percentage.
SERIES HISTORY
Washington and Penn State have squared off four times previously, with the series dormant for 15 years since the 2010 season. The Huskies are 3-1-0 all-time against the Nittany Lions, dropping the only previous visit to State College in 2005, 3-2.
LAST MEETING (9/10/10)
PORTLAND, Ore. - In a tough battle with a Big Ten team, the Washington Husky women's soccer team came out on top with a hard fought 2-1 victory over Penn State Friday night.
The Dawgs controlled the ball most of the first half, taking a 2-0 lead at the half. Penn State came out in the second half and scored its only goal of the game late, making several attempts to tie or even take the lead. However, the Husky defense was sharp all night as seniors Kendyl Pele and Hannah Greig and freshmen Brianna Sweeney and Lindsey Bos were brilliant in the back.
Jane Mitchell scored the first goal of the game for either team in the 10th minute. The goal came from 25 yards out and was assisted by senior McKenna Waitley.
The second goal came from junior Kate Deines in the 30th minute. The goal was scored on a free kick and the assist was from Pele.
The Penn State goal came in the 84th minute by Maya Hayes. The ball was deflected off of Husky goalkeeper Kari Davidson and put in the back of the net.
Davidson made four saves in the game. Krissy Tribbett was the losing keeper for Penn State, making two saves.
STARTING STRONG
Washington has gotten off to quick starts all season, with 12 of UW's 19 goals for the season coming in the first half, including seven goals inside the first 25 minutes of a match. The Huskies have led at the break in 10-of-13 matches in 2025 and have yet to concede a first half goal.
CAN'T BE BEAT
Washington's six-match unbeaten streak to open conference play is its longest since winning the first eight Pac-10 matches of the 2000 season. It is just the second time in the 35-year history of the UW women's soccer program that the Huskies have remained unbeaten through six league matches.
JUNIOR YEAR JUMP
Jadyn Holdenried's third season at Washington has been a breakout campaign, with the junior scoring six goals in 2025, two more than her first two seasons combined. Holdenried ranks tied for second in the nation with four match-winning goals, ranking tied for third in the Big Ten with 15 total points.
TINSEL TOWN TAKEDOWN
For the third time in program-history, Washington has defeated both of its LA-based conference foes. En route to earning top-15 victories over USC and UCLA, the stout Husky defense held the Trojans and Bruins to season-low totals in shots.
Washington made a statement in its Big Ten opener at No. 15 USC, defeating the Trojans 1-0 at Rawlinson Stadium. It was UW's first road win over a ranked opponent since topping then-No. 7 USC in 2019.
The Dawgs then locked up No. 4 UCLA in a 1-0 victory in Seattle to leapfrog to the top of the Big Ten table, Washington's highest-ranked win since 2017. Putting forth a ferocious defensive effort, UW held the Bruins without a first half shot, a feat that had not occurred since 2018.
The two wins netted Washington five Big Ten Player of the Week honors in total as Alex Buck and Kolo Suliafu earned respective Big Ten Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week nods following the win at USC, while Jadyn Holdenried, Maya Loudd and Maylen Montoya were tabbed Offensive Player, Defensive Player and Freshman of the Week after UW's win over UCLA.
GIANT KILLERS
Washington has defeated a top-5 team for the first time in program history with wins over No. 5 Michigan State (2024) and No. 4 UCLA (2025) at home.
YOU CAN FIND ME IN DA CLUB
One of the more unique paths to the Husky roster comes from junior Avery Nguyen, who was offered a roster spot prior to the start of the 2023 season after a trial during preseason training. A native of the Kansas City metro area and a former standout for Olathe Northwest High School and Sporting Blue Valley, Nguyen led the UW club team in scoring as a college freshman in 2022.
Nguyen got her senior season off to a strong start, scoring her first career goal against Idaho. Nguyen has made 24 career appearances for Washington.
ALL ROADS CLOSED
The stout Husky defensive unit, which tied the program record for fewest goals allowed in a single season in 2024, surrendering just 12, is led by senior centerback Kolo Suliafu, who was named to the United Soccer Coaches' Defenders to Watch list. Suliafu, a Second Team All-Big Ten and United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection, made 35 consecutive starts for Washington before a one-match ban to start the season and contributed to 28 clean sheets throughout her illustrious UW career, including 26 as a member of the starting XI. Suliafu was also ranked as the No. 91 player in all of women's college soccer in TopDrawerSoccer's annual preseason top-100 list.
WATCH OUT!
Suliafu was joined on the Big Ten Players to Watch List by a pair of teammates in junior midfielder Samiah Shell and fifth year Laura Cetina. It was Suliafu's second consecutive appearance on the preseason list.
Shell, a native of Auburn, Washington, is Washington's leading returning scorer with five goals during a breakout sophomore campaign. A former participant in the prestigious High School All-American Game, Shell also dished out three assists in 2024 for 13 total points. The Auburn Riverside HS product opened her Husky scoring account with a goal at No. 10 Santa Clara, also adding a brace in UW's Big Ten road victory over Maryland.
Meanwhile, Cetina is a fresh face to Montlake, joining Washington after playing the last two seasons at UMass Lowell, the former home of Husky All-Big Ten standout Ioanna Papatheodorou. Cetina brings a winning pedigree in tow, having guided Eastern Florida State College to its first-ever NJCAA National Championship in 2021. Prior to coming stateside, the A Coruña, Spain, native scored 38 goals over four seasons for Spanish club Victoria C.F.
STARTING XI FIXTURE
Since making seven-straight starts to end her freshman campaign, Kelsey Branson has not failed to crack the Huskies' starting XI a single time, a streak spanning 60 consecutive matches. Branson was the only Husky to start all 19 matches in 2023 and all 21 fixtures of 2024.
SMART COOKIES
For the 10th straight season, Washington has received the United Soccer Coaches Academic Award after earning a 3.67 team GPA.
MIA KICKS CANCER
Washington will be playing for far more than bragging rights and glory on the pitch in 2025, sporting an orange ribbon on the front of its jerseys in support of senior goalkeeper Mia Hamant, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 SMARCB1-deficient kidney cancer. Hamant hopes to return to the pitch in Purple and Gold but will not suit up on the pitch in 2025.
The California native, who recently celebrated her 21st birthday, did more than just perform in her first season as Washington's primary keeper a season ago, she starred. Hamant posted the nation's third-best save percentage in 2024 at .882, while UW collectively hailed the NCAA's top save percentage. Hamant's 0.66 goals against average was the third lowest in a season for a UW keeper, while her seven clean sheets were the sixth most in a season for a Husky.
Hamant, who also excels in the classroom at U Dub as a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District and Big Ten Fall All-Academic honoree, put UW on her back during Washington's postseason run last season. The Redwood HS product was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after making three penalty saves to lift UW over Iowa into the Big Ten Semifinals, then followed up with more penalty shootout excellence as UW advanced past No. 25 Utah State into the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
The UW community has rallied around Hamant, with several Husky programs donning orange ribbons in the standout shot stopper's honor. Additionally, a GoFundMe to support the various costs associated with Hamant's care has raised over $125,000 to date. Fans can follow along with Hamant's cancer journey on Instagram at @miakickscancer.
KEEP SLEEPING
Despite grossly outperforming its preseason prognostication of 13th in the 2024 Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll, finishing tied for 5th in the league table and advancing to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals, Washington once again is not predicted to be amongst the league's top teams. The Huskies were picked to finish ninth in the 2025 iteration of the preseason poll, with USC predicted to win this season's league crown.
2025 Big Ten Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. USC
2. UCLA
3. Penn State
4. Michigan State
5. Ohio State
6. Iowa
7. Wisconsin
8. Rutgers
9. Washington
10. Minnesota
11. Purdue
12. Nebraska
13. Michigan
14. Northwestern
15. Illinois
16. Oregon
17. Indiana
18. Maryland
LEFT SIDE, BEST SIDE
Of the 28 members of Washington's 2025 roster, 20 hail from West Coast states, featuring 11 natives of California, eight home state products from Washington and one product of the Portland suburbs in Oregon. However, Washington's squad spans the US and globe, with natives of Georgia, Kansas, Nevada and five internationals donning the Purple and Gold.
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
This summer, Washington senior Lucy Newlin was one of two UW athletes selected as a Big Ten's Outstanding Sportsmanship Award honoree, along with baseball's Malakhi Knight. A two-way player on the pitch and in the classroom, Newlin leads through both words and actions, showing consummate respect and sportsmanship for both her teammates and opponents. The NorCal native is also a leader in the community for the Dawgs, consistently rating as one of UW's top participants in community service initiatives. On the field, the Newlin is expected to be a key cog to the Husky defense after battling through nagging injuries in 2024.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
For the second consecutive season, Washington returns every member of its coaching staff, retaining assistant coaches Cole Schmit, Raphael Cox and Kary Whitney to Nicole Van Dyke's staff. Previously Washington had not returned every member of its coaching staff since 2018.
CROOTIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD
Washington spanned not only the country to bolster its roster in 2025, the Huskies searched all over the world to bring in the newest group of Dawgs. UW added five Europeans this summer in midfielder Laura Cetina (Spain/UMass Lowell), goalkeeper Cadi Doran (Wales/Liverpool FC), defender Julia Hüsch (Germany/UNC Asheville) and defender Anouk Westphal (Germany/Hertha BSC). Washington also returns junior Belgian international defender/midfielder Enora Matté, who is set to resume action after tearing her ACL during Big Ten play in 2024.
VEGAS BORN, SEATTLE PROUD
Hailing from the Las Vegas desert, Washington sophomore Andrea Leyva and her brother, Seattle Sounders midfielder Danny Leyva now call the Evergreen State home. Andrea has appeared in 26 matches with 13 starts for UW and was ranked as a four star recruit and the No. 39 prospect in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer. Meanwhile, Danny has played in 98 matches in the MLS (82 for Seattle), becoming the third youngest player in league history after coming on as a late substitute in the Sounders' away loss to the Montreal Impact.
MENTI BE
The Leyva's are not the only sibling connection in Seattle. Anna and Sally Menti, who starred at Roosevelt High School, less than three miles from Husky Soccer Stadium, have shared different paths to playing in front of their home state fans. Sally was an All-American midfielder at Santa Clara before signing a short-term contract and later a two-year extension this season with the NWSL's Seattle Reign, making 14 appearances with one goal and one assist. Meanwhile, Anna is in her third season at UW, making 49 appearances with 35 starts and collecting two goals and two assists along the way.
For more information on Husky Women's Soccer, follow @UW_WSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
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