Women’s Soccer 2024 Season Preview:

The Women’s Soccer team has been looking forward to the 2024 season since they lost to West Linn in penalty kicks in the quarterfinals in 2023.
After winning the OSAA state championship in 2022 and taking a very tough loss in the second round in 2021, the fire is definitely lit under this year’s team.
“The mentality of the team this season is to work together and combine all the talent we have on the team in order to make one cohesive unit,” senior captain Sophia Stiles stated. “We are going to go into every game ready and prepared and are going to play with no fear.”
“Our mentality is going to be all about winning and working together as one unit,” senior goalkeeper Zoe Anderson shared. “We’ve been training really hard and I’ve felt this unstoppable energy and focus among us.”
After experiencing so much success in season the past couple of years, the focus for the Crusaders women’s soccer team this year is to play together as one.
“The goal for the team this year is to come together as a group and to play with style and grit,” head coach Steve Fennah said.
Fennah’s Crusader’s graduated 5 seniors last season, losing only one player on the starting lineup. 6A Oregon player of the year, Abby Cox, was an all American and current TCU Frog who accounted for a bulk of Jesuit’s goals in her last two seasons.
“Obviously losing a player like Abby Cox is tough, and then losing Kaitlyn MacLennan and Claudia Rose is going to be tough,” Fennah said. “We were excited to have a large senior class of players and with the two being out, that has an impact.”
Unfortunately for the team, senior Claudia Rose will be out for the full season due to injury. Rose started all three years she played at Jesuit and is committed to continue her career at Loyola Marymount University in the fall of 2025. Rose was a top goal scorer along with Cox in 2022 and 2023 and also was 1st Team All Metro in 2022 and 2023.
“I think the mentality of the team going into the season is to play really well together as a team.” Rose said. “I think last year, we obviously didn’t achieve the goals that we wanted so this year we’re really focused on being as magnetic of a team as we can.”
The Crusaders have little yet important holes to fill this season as they enter the 2025 schedule with 7 new additions.
With four freshmen and one sophomore added to Fennah’s roster, and all playing on Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) teams, Jesuit looks on them to all be impactful players.
Freshman Ellie Covington was an Northwest All-Conference First Team player within the ECNL and also played with and against collegiate level players on the Portland Thorns II team this past summer.
“I’m most excited to be challenged and to be part of the team and for us to all really bond like a family,” Covington said.
Covington, along with the other underclassmen are definitely players to look out for.
Returning 2024 captain and First Team All-Metro of 2022 and 2023, Sophia Stiles, is the key to the Crusaders defense. Stiles is committed to Rutgers University to play Division I Soccer next fall and will be a vile role in this year’s back line. Sophia’s sister Eva Stiles is a freshman who can play center back with Sophia, which will create an interesting dynamic in the back.
“I’m really excited about my younger sister being on the team,” Sophia said smiling. “She’s a mini me and we’re best friends, so I’m really excited to play with her for a year.”
Anderson will be a third year starting goalkeeper for the women’s varsity team and continue to strive for excellence. She is committed to Santa Clara University to play collegiate soccer as well and also looks to take a leadership role this year.
“My biggest hope is that we can come together, stay motivated, and achieve something great this season,” Anderson said, “because I know we have the potential to do it.”
The senior class of 2025 in women’s soccer has six Division I soccer commitments which is an outstanding number. With 6 out of 7 seniors being four-year varsity athletes, the women’s soccer team is expected to be full of leadership.
The crusaders also have a very talented junior class with one player already committed and multiple talking to coaches.
“I expect to see the best out of Ana Kubiaczyk and Jo Frischknecht this year because they’ve grown into upperclassmen,” Fennah stated. “There’s no reason Mare Dunne and Natalie Webber shouldn’t be at the higher end of the goal scoring.”
Jesuit’s varsity team is looking strong this season, but there are teams to watch out for as well. The Crusaders opened the season by beating the Lincoln Cardinals on September 3rd, who have a very talented sophomore Frances Reuland. Just as a freshman in 2023, Reuland was first team in her league as well as offensive player of the year.
“I think Frances is a really good player, and obviously we’ve played together for a long time,” Rose said about her ECNL teammate Reuland. “But we’re really just focused on our own team and doing what we can.”
Last year’s state champions the Grant Generals are also looking to be back to back champions. The Crusaders are taking on the defending champions on the Generals turf for a competitive match on September 16th. The Generals won in 2021 as well, so they are determined to put up a fight in the playoffs.
The Crusaders have had many ups and downs the past few seasons and they have a lot to prove this year in the playoffs. Although last year didn’t go as planned, with Fennah’s hungry and talented roster, there should be no signs of the Crusaders backing off.