TURLOCK, Calif.---The Stanislaus State women's soccer team made it six straight postseason appearances on Thursday afternoon, defeating UC Merced 2-1 on the road to secure a berth in the 2025 CCAA Women's Soccer Tournament presented by FloCollege. Stan State finishes the regular season 10-4-4 overall and 6-3-2 in CCAA play, earning the No. 3 seed. The Warriors will host sixth-seeded Cal State East Bay in the first round on Sunday at 12 p.m. at Warrior Stadium.

Stan State has advanced to the CCAA Tournament semifinals in three of the last four years and is ranked ninth in this week's NCAA Division II West Region rankings, led by No. 1 Cal Poly Pomona. The next regional rankings will be released on November 12, followed by the NCAA Women's Soccer Selection Show on Sunday, November 17, at 6:30 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.

Last Match
Stan State set the tone early in Thursday's win at UC Merced, taking control with a goal in the 17th minute. Olivia Maragos netted her team-leading seventh goal of the season, finishing a perfectly placed ball from Aliah Avila and Makeila Yancey to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead. The Warriors controlled possession and held UC Merced to just two first-half shots as goalkeeper Zara Mujica made one save to preserve the advantage at halftime.

UC Merced equalized in the 74th minute, but Stan State responded quickly. Kellyann Rodriguez delivered the game-winner in the 79th minute — her first career game-winning goal — assisted by Yancey. Mujica finished with four saves to earn her 10th win in goal.

The win clinched the Warriors' sixth consecutive CCAA Tournament appearance (2018–present, excluding 2020) and marked the 13th time under head coach Gabriel Bolton that Stan State has reached at least 10 wins in a season.

Warriors Update
The Warriors enter the postseason on a four-match winning streak and have won five of their last six matches, outscoring opponents 11–2 during that stretch. Overall, Stan State has outscored opponents 27–15 this season while recording eight shutouts.

Maragos leads the team with seven goals and 15 points, while Avila continues to shine as one of the CCAA's top playmakers with four goals and six assists. Rodriguez (2g, 5a) and Jocelin Roa (3g, 2a) add depth to a balanced attack. Mujica anchors the defense with a 0.86 goals-against average and .810 save percentage, including six solo shutouts in 18 starts.

The Last Time They Met
When the teams met in the CCAA opener on Oct. 3 in Turlock, Stan State battled hard but came up short, 2-1, against East Bay. The Pioneers scored twice early in the second half before the Warriors responded with a 70th-minute goal from Shauna Johnston, assisted by Olivia Maragos and Abby Winslow. Stan State outshot East Bay 15-13 and earned a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks.

Scouting the Pioneers
Cal State East Bay (7-8-3, 5-4-2 CCAA) secured the No. 6 seed with a 1-0 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills on Thursday in Hayward. Senior midfielder Mika Sayfurahman scored the match-winner in the 54th minute — her seventh goal of the season and fifth in the last three matches — on an assist from Abigail Kern.

The Pioneers' defense was strong throughout, holding the Toros to five shots on goal. Goalkeepers Natalie Hassmann and Ashley Levi combined for the shutout, with Levi making four second-half saves.
Sayfurahman (7g, 3a) and Morgan Pearson (6g, 2a) lead the East Bay attack, while Kella Folkerts has added four goals and two assists. As a team, the Pioneers have scored 22 goals in 18 matches while allowing 20. Levi owns a 0.98 goals-against average and .809 save percentage in 14 appearances. East Bay averages 1.22 goals per game, allows 1.11, and has recorded six shutouts.

CCAA Sports on FloCollege
Sunday's CCAA Tournament First Round match will be streamed live on FloCollege, with live stats available at WarriorAthletics.com.

Up Next
The winner of Sunday's contest advances to face No. 2 seed Chico State in the CCAA Tournament semifinals on Friday, Nov. 14, at 4:30 p.m. at Cardinale Stadium in Seaside, Calif. The winner of the CCAA Tournament will receive the conference's automatic berth into the 2025 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship. The top seven teams in the West Region will earn NCAA Tournament bids, with the Selection Show airing Sunday, November 17, at 6:30 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.

2025 CCAA Women's Soccer Tournament Presented by FloCollege
at Cardinale Stadium, Cal State Monterey Bay – Seaside, Calif.

Sunday, Nov. 9 – First Round (at campus sites)
Match 1: #6 Cal State East Bay at #3 Stanislaus State, Noon
Match 2: #5 Cal Poly Humboldt at #4 Cal State San Bernardino, 2 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 14 – Semifinals
Match 3: #2 Chico State vs. Winner Match 1, 4:30 p.m.
Match 4: #1 Cal Poly Pomona vs. Winner Match 2, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 16 – Championship
Match 5: Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, 3 p.m.