BERKELEY - You might think that a head coach heading into his 18th year would have seen everything by now, but that is not the case for Neil McGuire of the California women's soccer team. When he and the Golden Bears reported to camp at Edwards Stadium earlier this week, it officially rang in the new era as the program heads in to its first season with the Atlantic Coast Conference.
 
"We feel blessed to be joining the ACC, a truly exceptional conference," McGuire said. "From a soccer perspective we will be competing against the nation's best, and we are excited for our student-athletes to be able to showcase their talents, and represent Cal is a manner that will make our university proud."
 
The Bears are coming off their third straight winning season going 7-6-6 and a fifth-place finish in its final Pac-12 campaign with a 4-3-4 mark. Of the 35 student-athletes that made those accomplishments possible, 25 of them are returning, including eight starters. Among those eight are Skylar Briggs and Mya Daily, who opted to come back for their fifth year, and Mia Fontana, who decided to come back for her sixth.
 
"Having Skylar, Mya and Mia back is fantastic," McGuire said. "They are top-level players. Experience at this level is vital and we go into this season with a highly experienced and mature team."
 
Last season that trio combined for 3,797 minutes, two game winners, and 10 points with Daily and Briggs ranking fourth and fifth in minutes, respectively. The pair of fifth years are two of the four returners that started every contest. Despite missing seven matches, Fontana finished third on the team with three goals and was named third-team All-Pac-12. The team's three most experienced Bears bring heart and leadership to the pitch and will be crucial as they head into what is widely regarded as the top women's soccer conference in the nation.
 
Another trio of experienced leaders that McGuire is excited about came to Berkeley through the transfer portal – all three coming from prominent west coast programs. Graduate students Julia Leontini (Stanford) and Kelly McManus (UCLA) will don the Blue and Gold in what is likely their last collegiate season, and junior Alex Klos (Santa Clara) comes in for the second half of her career.
 
"Adding Julia Leotini from Stanford, Kelly McManus from UCLA, and Alex Klos from Santa Clara brings not only great talent to the program, but great on what it takes to win," McGuire said. "The team is motivated and working hard to that goal."
 
Leontini was a mainstay in the Cardinal lineup in her four years at The Farm appearing in 78 matches with 36 starts. She logged prominent minutes in last year's national championship game in which Stanford finished as the national runner up to now conference foe Florida State. McManus was a member of the Bruins' 2023 national championship team and Klos was a WCC All-Conference honorable mention as a sophomore for the Broncos.
 
The third, and perhaps most anticipated, trio on the team consists of three seniors that were part of the top recruiting class in the nation and the first class to step on campus following the 2020-2021 spring season. Karlie Lema, Ari Manrique and Courtney Boone shouldered much of the burden for the Bears last season.
 
"Ari, Karlie, and Courtney were part of a class rated first in the nation and they, like the others, have brought a lot to the team," McGuire said. They are outstanding people, and great players. Along with their teammates, I know they are motivated to have a fun last season."
 
Boone was the anchor of the defense last season starting in all 19 matches and tallying the third most minutes on the team at 1,626. Lema, a third-team All-Pac-12 selection, influences the game with her speed and athleticism that helped her lead the team in points (12) and assists (4), and second in goals (4) despite missing three matches due to injury. Manrique missed some time as well but that did not stop her from leading the team with five goals and a .737 shots on goal percentage.
 
The fourth and final returner that started in all 19 matches last year is third-team All-Pac-12 selection Teagan Wy. The junior keeper stepped into the lead role in 2023 and tallied 86 saves, good for the second most in program history. She also posted five clean sheets and a .796 save percentage. She is coming off an eventful summer spent with the USA U20 Women's National Team.
 
The Bears' first contest of the season comes on Aug. 15 as they head over to Moraga to face Saint Mary's in an exhibition.