Women’s Soccer head coach Jerry Smith and midfielder Hildi Benediktsdottir walk off the field at halftime down 3-0 to Stanford on Aug. 17, 2025. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

As Santa Clara University women’s soccer season came to an end, they finished the season with an overall record of 8-6-5, going 4-2-5 in conference play. This placed them 6th in the West Coast Conference standings, leaving them out of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014.

Last season, they were 6-1-3 in the conference, which led them to win the WCC Championship and qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the 10th season in a row.

The Broncos dropped some surprising matches this year, handing Pacific their only win of the season and falling to Texas Tech and Penn State. They also tied with LMU and Gonzaga, missing key chances to climb the WCC standings.

The team faced a challenging season marked by adversity and resilience. “It was a very disappointing season for us,” said head coach Jerry Smith. “Not winning a championship and not going to the NCAA tournament, not as enjoyable for us. It was an unsatisfactory season.”

Smith attributes much of the team’s struggles to the effects of the COVID eligibility rules. The NCAA ruled that the COVID-19 season, during which Santa Clara University won the national championship, would not count towards athletes’ eligibility. As a result, every player from that season was granted an extra season to play. After the 2024 season ended, the team “lost 12 players, 9 of them were starting players,” Smith explained.

Santa Clara players pose for photos following their shootout victory over Florida State at the NCAA College Cup championship soccer match in Cary, N.C., Monday, May 17, 2021. **(AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)**

Among the departures was standout freshman Manaka Hayashi, who accepted a professional offer after seeing most of the starting team graduate. For the first time in Smith’s tenure, the team entered the season without any returning captains.

Adding to the challenge was a tough road schedule with games against Stanford, UCLA, UC Berkeley and Pittsburgh. “It was the perfect storm of challenges,” said Smith. “No returning captains, graduated 12 players, lost your best returning player to the pros, our toughest non-conference games were all on the road.”

After back-to-back losses to Pepperdine and Pacific in the same week, the team knew an NCAA tournament berth was impossible. However, they rallied to go undefeated in their final six games. “It was a testament to the team and the work ethic and our willingness to keep fighting while things weren’t going our way,” said captain Addie Whitehouse ’27.

Addie Whitehouse shields the ball in Santa Clara women’s soccer’s game against Seattle University on Oct. 4, 2025. The game ended in a 3-3 tie. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

Despite the setbacks, the Broncos still finished with a winning record. Smith anticipates a “complete overhaul” this offseason, with more returning players and a higher overall talent level. Two of the current three captains will be returning, making the team more experienced.

“There’s no team here at Santa Clara that can come close to what we have done in our program,” Smith said, emphasizing the outrageously high standards he holds for the team.

Whitehouse echoed his sentiment. “It just took more time for everyone to get accustomed to what the standards of the team are and what it takes to compete at this level.”

Injuries also affected the season, with six to ten players sidelined every week. Smith is changing the team’s training approach to ensure athletes stay healthy during the season. They plan to put in a “tremendous amount of hard work,” said Smith.

Looking ahead, Whitehouse believes the winter and spring will focus on building team chemistry as opposed to individual development. “I think now we know what we are capable of when we all show up together,” she said.

Despite the loss, the team is eager to put in work this offseason. They plan to focus on building camaraderie and prioritizing their health to stay competitive going forward. With a strong incoming recruiting class and core returning talent, the Broncos are poised to come back stronger next fall.