Fresno City College’s women’s soccer team is out for redemption this season. 

Coming back from a stellar season making it to the final four, this time they want the state championship.

The team had their first win against Santa Barbara City College and tied against Ventura College, making their record 1-1-2. 

Center midfielder Hannah Martin said that winning isn’t just a goal for the team, it is an expectation. 

“Anything below state doesn’t matter,” Martin said.

Head Coach Oliver Germond said last season they did not have the best start scoring goals but that changed once the season came closer to the end, which got the team to the semifinal. 

Expectations may be high, but that all goes away once a game starts. Forward Sarah Cox said, “When we are playing a game, nothing else matters.”

A home game scheduled against Santa Rosa on Sept. 9 was canceled due to heat, but that won’t be enough to stop the team. 

“We are out in this heat and still working as hard as we can,” defender Jasmine Guadardo said.

They practice Monday-Friday about five-six hours a week. They have scrimmages during practices to make sure they get a win when game day comes. “A tie is a loss to us,” Guadardo said.

Left back Anahi Casillas said practices are treated as games and are intense.

Martin, Guadardo, Cox, and Casillas are all returning players. Thirteen out of the 32 players are freshmen.

The sophomore presence can be intimidating to the new players, but it has not stopped new players from coming into their own and picking up where the sophomore players may lack, Martin said. 

Whether they are returning or new, they are more than just another team. They are a sisterhood. Any problem off the field stays off the field, Guadardo said.

The schedule for the rest of the season can be found here.

To learn more about the FCC team, their homepage can be found here.