The ocean’s tide rises and falls each day. At some points, the water is calm and recovering. At others, the sea is fierce, fighting with all its strength.
Just like the waves, the Long Beach State Women’s Soccer team has gone through their own phases of rising and falling. After a tough year in 2025 with a 5-8-5 overall recprd, the Beach is looking to rise again in the upcoming 2026 season.
“We’re all working toward the same goal, which is to win,” senior defender Zoe Willis said. “We’re just all progressing at the same rate, getting our fitness in, getting our touches in. As long as we can keep working toward that goal, it’s looking bright.”
Willis is just one of Long Beach’s veterans on this year’s squad. Even with a mix of fresh faces on the pitch, Head Coach Mauricio Ingrassia said his returners showcase the heart of the team.
“it’s a group with a lot of character. They’ve put in the hard work. They’ve stuck through the program through thick and thin,” Ingrassia said.
As a senior defender, Willis will be anchoring the Beach’s backline and using her speed to her advantage. After spending a stint of the summer training with professional-level talent and Angel City FC, Ingrassia said Willis will prove to be a major asset on defense.
Willis is one of Long Beach’s captains this year, alongside junior defender Natalie Arnold. The defender recently underwent hip surgery, fighting through the last stages of recovery and showing strength in preseason training.
Joining Willis and Arnold as captains for the Beach is senior midfielder Jordan Candelaria. As a senior in high school, Candelaria was named the New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year — an honor Ingrassia said his midfielder proves to have earned each time she steps on the field.
“She’s really found her way in the midfield for us, anchoring everything down,” Ingrassia said of Candelaria. “Great leader, tremendous work rate, great player.”
Candelaria will be an important part of Long Beach’s midfield and will be joined by sophomore Ameera White. After earning the starting nod as a freshman, White has continuously showcased improvement on the pitch.
“She is our midfield maestro,” Ingrassia said. “She will pull all the strings. She’s a tacky player that links up the play with a good final pass. She gets into the box well. She has 360 vision, so we’re looking forward to a great year out of her.”
Another dynamic force on the field for Long Beach is senior Kana Uchida. Ingrassia said Uchida is a versatile player, being able to transition from defense to midfield with ease.
In the net, Ingrassia said he has two strong keepers competing for playtime. Senior Aurora Schuck has been the Beach’s starter for the previous two seasons, but right behind her is sophomore Amaya Sanles who has greatly improved through her first year.
All of these players will work together in hopes to find Long Beach’s frontline, which boasts players with years of experience. Forward Cherrie Cox will be a key piece for the Beach on offense, looking to make a splash in her senior season.
“I feel like she’s going to have a breakout year more than ever,” Ingrassia said. “The biggest thing about Cherrie is when she’s on the field, her goals per minute is off the charts — the best in program history. If she has a good season, she’s got a chance to break the All-Time Scoring Record for our program.”
Cox was formerly named the Big West Freshman of the Year in 2022 and Big West Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. After battling an injury for the last two seasons, Ingrassia said Cox’s return will be noticed across the field.
In Cox’s absence, forward Raddison Banks stepped up for the Beach on offense. Banks transferred from the University of Washington following the 2023-24 season and emerged as a leader for Long Beach State, earning All-Conference honors in the process last year.
Another player to keep an eye out for this fall is forward Kailey Supa. Ingrassia said the junior Supa has been a utility player for the Beach in recent seasons, but emerged as an offensive threat this past spring where she finished as the team’s leading scorer.
The Beach’s squad isn’t only anchored by their strong group of returners. Fresh faces are joining the program, and as the team learns to play together, Ingrassia said the upperclassmen’s leadership is held in high regard.
“They set the path to show the younger players what we’re about, what our character needs to be, how we treat each other as family and how we have to play with courage,” Ingrassia said.
Forward Olivia Yu, defender Sydney Beaumont and midfielder/defender Taylor Bellotti are three strong freshmen joining Long Beach this year. Ingrassia said all three of these youngsters came in fit and ready to go, hungry to make their mark in a Beach uniform.
“It’s a freshness that they’re bringing,” Ingrassia said of the newcomers. “They have the ability as players to step in and contribute. You could see that they’ve got talent. They’re going to push the starters. It’s an exciting group.”
As much as the freshmen are challenging the veteran starters, Bellotti said the returners are pushing her to grow just as much. From fitness hurdles to being encouraged to go outside her comfort zone, Bellotti said she is taking in all the Long Beach program can offer her.
“I’m really trying to take this year to learn as much as I can, especially from Jordan [Candelaria] and the midfielders, to just develop as a well-rounded player,” Bellotti said.
After a rough couple of years, Ingrassia said he hopes to find more success in the 2026 season. While the head coach acknowledges that some parts of the game — including injuries — are out of his program’s control, the team is going to tighten up on finishing in an effort to get some more points in the win column this year.
“Our goals never change,” Ingrassia said. “We’re a program that needs to be competing for championships, going to the NCAA tournament and advancing in the tournament.”
One way the team is trying to strengthen their on-field success is through off-field bonding. From team dinners to clubhouse chats, Long Beach State is focusing on the smaller details now to find success later in the season.
“A big part of this team is building the chemistry, not even on the field, but off the field, and then that translates onto the field,” Bellotti said.
Willis said from hard training sessions to team bonding, her team is working together to get on the same page before the year officially gets underway. The team has less than two weeks to do so, as Long Beach State will start the 2026 season Aug. 12 at home, hosting Saint Mary’s at George Allen Field with a 7 p.m. kickoff time.
