Women’s soccer is alive and kicking

Photo courtesy of Larry Newman

There was a collective sense of “oh no, here we go again” as the header glided towards the top corner of Chapman’s goal. Another rough night on the way. Going down to the worst team in the conference. Things looked bleak.

The first half of women’s soccer’s match against the University of Redlands was a never-ending game of battleship, with both teams narrowly missing the target. It was clear that you were watching a team with no Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) wins play a team navigating the first season with their new coach.

Redlands hit the post. Chapman missed from point blank. Somebody, at some point, had to break the deadlock. Bulldogs’ senior midfielder Gianna Alati’s shot felt like it would be that moment. Soaring through the sky. Dipping into the net. But sophomore goalkeeper and psychology major Bella Barretto — who could’ve been mistaken for the great Briana Scurry in the moment — backpedalled and clawed at the ball, lifting it up and over the goal to safety.

It’s always hard to pinpoint the exact turning points in a team’s season. There are too many factors in and outside of the games to keep track of. However, for those at Wilson Field last Wednesday afternoon, it became clear that Barretto’s save was just that for the Panthers.

Chapman started out last week on the outside looking in on the playoffs, only winning two games in the conference season. With matchups against teams below them in the SCIAC standings — Redlands and Occidental College — there was a chance to climb back into contention.

It took a dubious penalty call in the second half against the Bulldogs to help the Panthers score first, but their lead was well deserved. Junior forward and psychology major Sidney Karjian finished the penalty, and sophomore forward and health sciences major Alexis Sweeney sealed the victory with a second, 15 minutes before the end of the match.

Chapman’s momentum after Barretto's save and the first goal was undeniable. They cleaned up the defense to force a shutout, dominating the final half hour to win 2-0.

“Obviously it's going to be hard for all 11 of us to play perfectly everyday, but I thought we were able to step up to the challenge,” said Barretto.

The depth of talent on the Chapman roster showed itself more and more as the night went on. They showed attacking fluidity, flair and creativity. They showed defensive structure. First year coach TJ Perez has been building his team’s consistency in those departments all season.

“The big adjustment for us overall has been to find the grind, day in and day out, that it takes to be in the top of the conference,” Perez said. “Our strength is our culture and togetherness — the ability to push through the tough moments together and work to improve as one.”

Chapman’s 1-0 win at Occidental on Saturday reinforced that this squad can be contenders in the SCIAC. It also brought them to fourth in the standings, capping off their best week of the season.

But it can’t stop there for Chapman. With three games remaining in the regular season, and the difference between making and missing the playoffs being just a few points, the time to celebrate is not upon the Panthers.

“(The Redlands win) gave us a chance to gain more confidence and start building some rhythm heading into the final stretch of the season,” Karjian said. “We want to use this as momentum to … carry that energy into the next few games.”

The team faces California Lutheran University on the road Wednesday, before closing out with home games the next two Saturdays against Whittier College, who sit right below them in the table, and University of La Verne. Chapman tied both Whittier and La Verne 0-0 in their previous matchups, and lost 3-1 against Cal Lutheran.

The Panthers likely won’t move higher than fourth, but two wins should secure a playoff spot. Not long ago, that dream seemed fleeting.

“If we keep playing together and translate our hard work from practices into the game, we’ll put ourselves in a good position to get (to the playoffs),” Karjian said. “We need to believe we deserve this, and I know everyone feels that way.”

2025 is far from a lost season for Chapman, and if it ends in glory they’ll be reminiscing about a save on a random windy Wednesday in October.