After taking the 2025 GSAC Tourament crown, The Master's University women's soccer is back with several impact players returning for 2026, including reigning GSAC Player of the Year
Maddy Traylor.
In 2025, TMU earned a 15-4-3 record and took down Embry-Riddle University to win the GSAC Tournament title. The 2026 team returns six total All-GSAC players and eight starters.
Maddy Traylor will lead the way offensively, after putting up one of the most dominant seasons in GSAC history, scoring 26 goals and dishing out seven assists. Traylor took home Player of the year honors and was named Newcomer of the Year after delivering nine game-winning goals.
Traylor is joined by forward
Breanna Fajardo, who earned an all-conference nod in 2024, and had eight goals and six assists in 2025. All-GSAC midfielders
Kegan Brunnemann and
Jane Hato are back to provide a strong mix of offense and defense. Brunnemann was second on the team with 11 goals last season and Hato came on strong in the second half of the year with four assists in 12 starts.
Zaria Echemendia and
Bryanna Elias were also both selected to the 2025 All-GSAC team and they return in 2026 to bolster a strong TMU defense that allowed a total of 16 goals in 22 games. Echemendia also netted three goals on the year and added four assists.
"We've got a good group coming back with 11 returners but also 14 new players who we think can make an impact," TMU Head Coach Esteban Chavez said. "Right out of the gate, the team will look to gel and figure out our identity. We are dealing with some injuries early on in the season but feel we have a talented and great group of girls."
Newcomers to watch include transfer All-Cascade Conference goalkeeper
Katie Snow and her sister Rachel, along with freshmen
Kaylee Bates,
Taya Pickup,
Lacy Zierenberg and
Emma Gilmer.
TMU kicks off their non-conference schedule at home against Nelson (Aug 20). They will continue their early home stretch hosting The College of Idaho (Aug 27), Occidental (Aug 29), Stanton (Sep 5) and Westcliff (Sep 8).
The GSAC slate kicks off with a home match against La Sierra (Sep 11), followed by home conference games hosting Life Pacific (Sep 19), Arizona Christian (Sep 26), Hope International (Sep 30), Soka (Oct 10), and Park University Gilbert (Oct 22). For their GSAC away matches, the Mustangs travel to face Hope International University (Sep 17), Embry-Riddle (Oct 3), La Sierra (Oct 8), OUAZ (Oct 15), Benedictine Mesa (Oct 17), Life Pacific (Oct 24), and finish the regular season at Soka (Oct 29).
