By Ella Torres, August 25, 2026
Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s soccer enters the 2026 season with a roster that looks significantly different from the one that reached the NCAA Division ll semifinals last fall. Only 19 players return from last season’s team that finished with an 18-3-3 record, won its third consecutive CCAA regular season championship, second straight NCAA West Region championship and reached the national semifinals for the second consecutive year.
The 16 newcomers include sophomore forward Carly Radke and sophomore Ashlyn Jones, looking to replace the forwards of the 2025 season. Radke joins the Broncos as a 5-foot-8 forward from Southern Utah University. She played all 18 season matches for SUU andwas a D1 CIF and State champion at Temecula Valley High School. Jones holds a similar record during her first year at San Francisco State, playing in all 18 matches and starting in 17 of them. Jones graduated from Santiago High School as a CIF Open Division championand CIF State champion.
The Broncos opened their preseason Aug. 15 with a scrimmage against Vanguard University. After a slow start, the Broncos found their footing and pulled away with a 3-0 victory over the Lions.
“We were able to find some moments of rhythm, and when the players found those, I thought we were dangerous,” head coach Jay Mason said.
These moments gave coaches and fans an early look at the new roster, but according to Coach Mason, the scrimmage also exposed some areas of challenge that often come with bringing together so many unfamiliar players.
New additions to the team not only include players but also coaching staff. Emma Barrow, former member of the Broncos women’s soccer team and CPP alumna, has been recruited as an assistant coach. Barrow played for the Broncos in 2021 and ended her season with six goals and one assist, earning her All-CCAA Honorable Mention honors. She also played Division l soccer at University of San Diego for four years, scoring 24 goals in 40 appearances.
“I’m looking forward to working alongside a really great coaching staff and being able to learn under them,” Barrow said. “At the same time, I’d love to continue to push the envelope for this team and help them meet the goals and expectations they set for themselves.”
While Barrow and the coaching staff work to integrate the new players off the field, the responsibility of setting the tone on the field will heavily fall on returning players. Communication and confidence remain areas of concern for the team, according to midfielder and returning senior Braedyn Kincade.
“Definitely work on building your confidence,” Kincade said. “It’s not going to happen overnight, but if you can build that, you’ll be very successful going forward.”
Kincade, described as the “engine” of the team by her coaches, is one of only three seniors returning this 2026 season alongside defenders Mikaela Marr and Georgia Rink. Though captains have yet to be announced, the “core four” leaders of the team, voted by the players, include Marr, Rink, defender Lizzy Northcott and midfielder Charlie Gallardo.
The team will kick off their 2026 season, Aug 27 against Minot State University.
Feature image courtesy of CPP Athletics
