Women's Team

From winning the 2021 WPSL Desert Conference, to getting the second most career matches played for University of Arizona soccer, Sabrina Enciso has made another monumental choice in her career.

Enciso signed with Club América Femenil in the Liga MX Femenil, the club announced on Monday.

The Moreno Valley, California native has been a staple in the University of Arizona side since her freshman year. She played all four years of her schooling and a fifth as a redshirt senior making 84 total appearances. Enciso earned a 2018 Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention in her sophomore year.

For FC Tucson, she helped the team to a 7-0-1 record and featured in the Desert Conference championship game against SC del Sol in Phoenix, where the team clinched the title.

Liga MX Femenil is the highest level of professional soccer for women in the Mexican Football Federation. Club América won the Clausura inaugural Liga MX Femenil season in 2018. The club plays its home matches at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, also home to the Mexican National Team.

FC Tucson scored two and goalkeeper Hope Hisey made a stellar penalty save, but SC del Sol came back late to ensure a 2-2 draw between the two teams at Kino North Stadium on Sunday.

FC Tucson got on the scoresheet in the 28th minute when forward Ashly Martinez jumped on a rebounded shot from midfielder Caitlyn Maher and slammed it into the net.

Caitlyn Maher with the initial shot and then Ashly Martinez sends it home 🤩

TUC 1-0 SDS#fuerzatucson 🌵 | #TUCvSDS pic.twitter.com/eGaypTtW2w

— FC Tucson Women (@fctucsonwomen) June 20, 2022

A chance came for SC del Sol in the 58th minute when a forward was taken down in the box and the team was awarded a penalty. The SC del Sol forward sent the ball towards the bottom right corner, but a diving save from FC Tucson goalkeeper Hope Hisey thwarted the chance.

HOPE. HISEY. 👐

TUC 1-0 SDS#shestartsintucson | #TUCvSDS pic.twitter.com/YMhB0KvZR2

— FC Tucson Women (@fctucsonwomen) June 20, 2022

A long ball sent Ellie Robinson on a quick break in the 85th minute, she sent a low cross to Kate Connelly who easily tapped it in to double Tucson’s lead.

AND KATE CONNELLY DOUBLES OUR LEAD 👏👏

Ellie Robinson with that 🔥 assist too 😎

TUC 2-0 SDS#fuerzatucson 🌵 | #TUCvSDS pic.twitter.com/Fds7PEKPmS

— FC Tucson Women (@fctucsonwomen) June 20, 2022

SC del Sol scored two quick goals in the 89th and 93rd minutes to bring the game level.

GOALS

• 28′ – TUC – Ashly Martinez
• 85′ – TUC – Kate Connelly (Ellie Robinson)
• 89′ – SDS – Olivia Nguyen
• 93′ – SDS – Aubrie Labno (Lauren Kirberg)

SAVES

• TUC – 5 – Hope Hisey
• SDS – 1 – Jordan Ferguson

CORNERS

• TUC – 5
• SDS – 5

CAUTIONS

• TUC – 39′ – Ellie Robinson
• SDS – None

QUOTES

• “Disappointed at the end, allowing them to come back when we’re up two to zero. I have to give it to del Sol, they kept pressing us and creating chances and opportunities. Hope came up with a huge save, we had two good goals and created a lot of opportunities but we couldn’t find that third one. ” – FC Tucson Head Coach Kelly Pierce
• I think we played well, we’re getting better and there’s more chemistry building between the team. I think we’re playing decent soccer, it’s just minimizing the mistakes that we’re making.” – FC Tucson Head Coach Kelly Pierce
• “She plays at ASU, so I’ve scouted her for about four years now. I had a gut feeling that she was going to go that way. I had to just trust in my instincts.” – FC Tucson goalkeeper Hope Hisey

NEXT UP

• In its next match, FC Tucson (3-2-0 with 11 points) welcomes Atomic City FC to Kino North Stadium on Friday, June 24. (BUY TICKETS)

A 72nd minute goal by Aryanna Sanchez helped FC Tucson grow its unbeaten streak to 17 by securing a 2-2 draw with AZ Arsenal SC on Friday night at Bell Bank Park.

AZ Arsenal took the lead in the 27th minute from a shot by Siera Herbert. Arsenal followed by taking another shot just three minutes later, but the ball was sent over the net.

Tucson came out firing in the second half and scored the equalizer in the 49th minute. Ella Rustand sent the ball into the back of the net from a pass from captain Laura Pimienta.

AZ Arsenal player Renee Sainz put the hosts back in the lead in the 60th minute.

Forward Aryanna Sanchez leveled the game once more when Laura Pimienta sent in free kick from just outside the box latched onto her feet and was sent into the back of the net.

GOALS

• 27′ – AZA – Siera Herbert
• 49′ – TUC – Ella Rustand (Laura Pimienta)
• 60′ – AZA – Renee Sainz
• 72′ – TUC – Aryanna Sanchez

SAVES

• TUC – 3 – Hope Hisey
• AZA – 4 – Tionna Taylor

CORNERS

• TUC – 4
• AZA – 5

CAUTIONS

• TUC – None
• AZA – 45′ – Riley Brown
• AZA – 84′ – Zoe Ballard

NEXT UP

• FC Tucson (3-1-0 with 10 points) returns home to kick off a three-match home stand against SC del Sol on Sunday at Kino North Stadium. (BUY TICKETS)

FC Tucson’s season heats up this weekend with two matches over three days.

The club pushed its unbeaten streak up to 16 last weekend with a 1-0 win over Atomic City FC in Henderson, Nevada. It continues its road trip as the team heads to Mesa to take on league newcomer Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club on Friday. The team quickly returns to Tucson to host SC del Sol on Sunday.

Friday’s match will kick off at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on FCTucson.com. Sunday’s match is also set for a 7 p.m. kick off at Kino North Stadium. (BUY TICKETS)

FC Tucson midfielder Caitlyn Maher scored the eventual game-winner against Atomic City in the 39th minute. She took the ball up the left-wing and sent the ball towards the net. The first kick was knocked away by Atomic City’s goalkeeper, but the rebound was sent right back to Maher who fired it into the net.

Maher, a Tucson native and graduate of Catalina Foothills High School, currently plays collegiate soccer with Pima Community College. The Aztecs won the NJCAA Division II title in the fall, its first time since 2015. Maher was a key player for Pima in the match as she assisted sophomore Alyssa Kopach in the 20th minute to open the scoring.

FC Tucson and Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club are both undefeated heading into the match. Arsenal has played two matches this season, a 3-0 and 1-0 victory over El Paso Surf.

SC del Sol has also played two matches, both against Atomic City FC. The team won 4-0 in Phoenix, but lost 2-1 on the road in Las Vegas.

Sunday’s match kicks off a three-game home stand where FC Tucson will look to defend its WPSL Desert Conference title. (BUY TICKETS)

FC Tucson improved its impressive unbeaten streak to 16 with a third consecutive win to start the season.

The club beat Atomic City FC 1-0 at Green Valley High School in Henderson, Nevada, Saturday night.

Caitlyn Maher scored the game-winner in the 39th minute.

Maher picked up a 40-yard pass and ran up the left-wing and into the box. Her first kick met Atomic City’s goalkeeper, but the rebound fell right back into Maher’s feet. She fired another quick shot past the goalkeeper and into the net.

AND WE’RE UP 👏 ‼️
Caitlyn Maher gives us the lead with this beaut 😍

ATC 1-0 TUC#ATCvTUC | #fuerzatucson 🌵 pic.twitter.com/4iQJxGowLr

— FC Tucson Women (@fctucsonwomen) June 12, 2022

Tucson continued pressing for the second goal, out shooting Atomic City, 9-5, but could not break through Las Vegas’s defense.

In the dying minutes of the game, Atomic City was awarded a free kick just outside the box. The ball was sent flying over Tucson’s wall and towards the top corner. FC Tucson goalkeeper Maddie Smith made a diving, fingertip save, to preserve the shutout.

WHAT A SAVE, MADDIE SMITH 😱

ATC 0-1 TUC #ATCvTUC | #fuerzatucson 🌵 pic.twitter.com/pm9az5aaJU

— FC Tucson Women (@fctucsonwomen) June 12, 2022

GOALS

• 39′ – TUC – Caitlyn Maher

SAVES

• TUC – 2 – Maddie Smith
• ATC – 3 – Chloe Dody

CORNERS

• TUC – 4
• ATC – 3

CAUTIONS

• TUC – Laura Pimienta
• TUC – Maddie Smith
• ATC – Lourdes Bosch

NEXT UP

FC Tucson (3-0-0 with nine points) travels to Mesa to face off against league-newcomer Arizona Arsenal at 7 p.m. on Friday. The team returns to Kino North Stadium on Sunday, June 19, to kick off a three-match home stand against SC del Sol. (BUY TICKETS)

FC Tucson heads to the casino capital of the world on a hot streak.

The club notched its 15th consecutive game without a defeat last weekend with a 1-0 win over El Paso Surf to complete a two-game sweep of the Texas team. FC Tucson has the third longest regular season unbeaten streak in the nation out of 141 active WPSL clubs.

FC Tucson looks to continue the streak on Saturday against Atomic City FC at Green Velley High School in Henderson, Nevada. Kick off is set for 7:30 p.m. The match will be streamed live on FCTucson.com.

FC Tucson midfielder Naija Bruckner scored the game-winner against El Paso. Forward Ashly Martinez, who had the game-winner in the season-opener against El Paso, headed the ball from outside the box to Bruckner who beat off her defender and sent the ball into the back of the net.

Bruckner, a Tucson native, won two State Championships in 2019 and ’21 while featuring with FC Tucson Youth 04 Girls Black. The midfielder also was invited to the ODP West Region ID Camp in 2020, but was ultimately canceled because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Bruckner will enter her first year at Rice University in Houston, Texas, this fall. She intends to walk-on for the NCAA Division I women’s soccer team there.

“Having that unbeaten streak from the past few seasons has been a huge motivator,” said Bruckner. “Largely because of the support of this club and its something we want to uphold.”

FC Tucson has gone 477 minutes without conceding a goal, while Atomic City conceded four in its last match against SC del Sol. Atomic City has lost its last four matches, dating back to June 2021.

FC Tucson will continue its road trip when it takes on WPSL newcomer Arizona Arsenal SC on Friday, June 17. The club will return home to play three of its last four matches at home, starting with its match against SC del Sol on Sunday, June 19. (BUY TICKETS)

The defending WPSL Desert Conference champions grabbed its second consecutive win to start the 2022 campaign.

FC Tucson beat El Paso Surf 1-0 at Kino North Stadium Friday Night to improve its unbeaten streak to 15.

Naija Bruckner delivered the eventual game-winner in the 37th minute.

Ashly Martinez headed the ball into the feet of Naija Bruckner just outside the box. Bruckner beat off her defender and sent the ball into the back of the net for the game winner in the 37th minute.

AND NAIJA BRUCKNER GIVES US THE LEAD 👏

TUC 1-0 EPS#TUCvEPS | #fuerzatucson 🌵 pic.twitter.com/vXPUgaQR9M

— FC Tucson Women (@fctucsonwomen) June 4, 2022

“Naija has been pretty incredible for us. She’s a young kid, very quiet but has a huge presence on the pitch,” said FC Tucson Head Coach Kelly Pierce. “Her composure on the ball, especially at her age, is rare. The goal was a very motivated move on her end and she really wanted that.”

Chances continued throughout the night, with Tucson out shooting El Paso 9 to 6. Martinez was virtually everywhere along the front line, taking shots from close range and outside the box to give Tucson the offensive edge.

On the other end of the field, Laura and Priscilla Pimienta, Chloe Ziegler and Micaela Hornstein continued their good run of form. El Paso continued to press with five of its six shots coming in the second half, but the backline shut them down at every opportunity to preserve the shutout.

GOALS

• 37 – TUC – Naija Bruckner (Ashly Martinez)

SAVES

• TUC – 2 – Hope Hisey
• EPS – 4 – Darya Mosallaei

CORNERS

• TUC – 4
• EPS – 2

CAUTIONS

• TUC – 69′ – Hannah Leitner
• EPS – None

QUOTES

• “Feels great to get the first win at home. We have a solid and consistent backline. El Paso was pressing and played pretty direct and they managed it well.” – FC Tucson Head Coach Kelly Pierce
• “Slowly but surely we see a lot of promising things, they’re continuously getting behind and creating opportunities and we just have to execute now.” – FC Tucson Head Coach Kelly Pierce

NEXT UP

FC Tucson (2-0-0 with six points) head back out on the road to face off against Atomic City FC in Henderson, NV on Saturday, June 11. Kick off is slated for 7:30 p.m.

The defending WPSL Desert Conference champions kick off its 2022 home slate on Friday with the wind in its sails after opening the season with three points against El Paso Surf.

The team notched its 14th consecutive game without a defeat in its 1-0 season opener win in El Paso on Saturday. FC Tucson looks to continue the momentum on Friday against El Paso Surf at 7 p.m. (BUY TICKETS)

FC Tucson forward Ashly Martinez scored the only goal and match winner against El Paso after she jumped on a loose ball in the opponent’s half and converted on the fast break.

The Coahuila, Mexico, native has been selected to the U15 and U17 Mexico National Team, and represented her country in the CONCACAF tournament in Orlando, Florida. The midfielder played for Club Santos Laguna in LIGA BBVA MX Femenil during its 2019-20 Apertura season, scoring three goals in 11 appearances. She joined FC Tucson this season before heading to Arizona Western College in the fall.

“I was given the opportunity to play with this huge team and I decided to take it,” said FC Tucson forward Ashly Martinez in Spanish. “It’s going to be a great match.”

El Paso Surf goalkeeper Darya Mosalleai conceded one goal and made five acrobatic stops throughout the match. At the other end of the field, FC Tucson defenders Laura Pimienta, Priscilla Pimienta and Micaela Hornstein kept out multiple El Paso attacks. FC Tucson and University of Arizona goalkeeper Hope Hisey made two saves on the night to preserve the shutout.

FC Tucson heads back out on the road to face off against Atomic City FC in Las Vegas on June 11.

EL PASO, Texas — The defending WPSL Desert Conference champions kicked off the 2022 campaign with another win.

Ashly Martinez jumped on a loose ball in the second half as converted on the fast break to help lift FC Tucson over El Paso Surf, 1-0, at Burges High School. It improved FC Tucson’s unbeaten streak to 14, dating back to 2019.

After playing to a scoreless first half, Martinez punched through early in the second half. The Coahuila, Mexico, native comes to FC Tucson with experience on the U15 and U17 Mexico National Team and with Club Santos Laguna in LIGA BBVA MX Femenil.

ASHLY MARTINEZ GIVES US THE LEAD 🤯

TUC 1-0 EP#fuerzatucson 🌵 | #EPvTUC pic.twitter.com/XzWroO1HIK

— FC Tucson Women (@fctucsonwomen) May 29, 2022

“It was great to get the win, especially on the road, in Game 1,” said FC Tucson head coach Kelly Pierce. “Especially with our starting eleven only really having two practices together. Getting the opportunity for them to get out there, knock the ball around and get used to each other, was reassuring.”

Pierce said the backline of Laura and Priscilla Pimienta, as well as Chloe Ziegler and Micaela Hornstein were key in helping shut down the El Paso attack. Goalkeeper Hope Hisey, the University of Arizona’s starting keeper, made four saves to secure her fourth shutout in seven starts for the club.

Pierce also highlighted the play of Haley Harris in the midfield, as well as teenager Naija Bruckner staying calm and composed on the ball in her first start with the club.

Caitlyn Maher was able to create a number of opportunities down the sides repeatedly in the first half, but FC Tucson wasn’t able to punch one through.

GOALS

• 62′ – TUC – Ashly Martinez

SAVES

• FCTW – 2 – Hope Hisey
• EPS – 5 – Darya Mosallaei

CORNERS

• FCTW – 4
• EPS – 1

CAUTIONS

• FCTW – None
• EPS – None

QUOTES

• “It was great to see we were able to create so many opportunities. Getting in behind again and again and getting shots on frame, getting that in game 1, was so optimistic.” – FC Tucson Head Coach Kelly Pierce

NEXT UP

FC Tucson (1-0-0 with three points) will host its first home game of the season Friday at 7 p.m. at Kino North Stadium (Buy Tickets) against El Paso Surf.

Your defending Women’s Premier League Desert Conference champions are ready to defend their crown.

FC Tucson will feature in Women’s Premier Soccer League’s (WPSL) Desert Conference facing off against three other returning teams (El Paso Surf, Atomic City FC and SC del Sol) and newcomer Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club.

Arizona Arsenal SC is among 29 expansion teams joining the WPSL this year, which traces its lineage back to 1998. The WPSL playoffs return this season after the season was cancelled in 2020 and the league did not hold a postseason in 2021.

The winner of the Desert Conference will advance to the West Region semifinals; the winners of the four regions will then play for the national championship.

FC Tucson won the Desert Conference last year and is unbeaten in its last 13 matches, going 11-0-2 since losing to Albuquerque FC in June of 2019.

While Luz Duarte is taking her club-record 12 goals from a year ago to play professionally for Mexico City’s PUMAS UNAM in LIGA BBVA MX Femenil, the good news is this team could have even more talent than the one that went 7-0-1 last year.

One of the biggest reasons is Kelly Pierce.

The Tucson native was a four-year starter at Salpointe Catholic High School, where she won a pair of state titles. She became an assistant at FC Tucson to highly-successful head coach Amy Garelick in 2017, and succeeded her in 2019, when she earned Desert Division Coach of the Year.

At Salpointe, Pierce has coached the team to four 4A state championships. She was named Arizona Republic’s All-Arizona Coach of the Year across all classes this past season after winning her most recent title.

And Pierce has plenty of talent on the field for FC Tucson this season.

Some notable names to watch for this year:

Ashly Martinez
The Coahuila, Mexico, native has been selected to the U15 and U17 Mexico National Team, and represented her country in the CONCACAF tournament in Orlando, Florida. The midfielder played for Club Santos Laguna in LIGA BBVA MX Femenil during its 2019-20 Apertura season, scoring three goals in 11 appearances. Injury sidelined her for the ensuing Clausura, but she has bounced back strongly. She is attending Arizona Western College, which is coming off its first NJCAA Division I Region I championship.

Hope Hisey
The starting goalkeeper for University of Arizona, Hisey led the Pac12 in saves last year. She had three shutouts and allowed just five goals over her six games in goal for FC Tucson last year and earned the WPSL Desert Region Goalkeeper of the Year.

Haley Harris
The Tucson native returns for her second season with FC Tucson, where she emerged as starting defensive midfielder last season. Harris is a sophomore studying Global Security and Intelligence at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott. She was named Coaches’ All-American Second Team after helping the Eagles qualify for the NAIA national tournament this past season. 

Laura and Priscilla Pimienta
Laura Pimienta is a former University of Arizona star, and is FC Tucson’s team captain and starting center back. She was the 2021 WPSL Desert Conference Defender of the Year. Her twin sister, Priscilla, also went to Arizona and played every minute last year for FC Tucson as a defender.

Trinity Morales
Morales graduated from Salpointe Catholic High School after leading the Lancers to consecutive state championships. The 18-year-old earned Arizona 4A Player of the Year and All-Conference first team honors this past season. She was also named 4A Offensive Player of the Year in 2021. Morales attended the U-19 U.S. Virtual National Camp in 2021, and recently signed a letter of intent to continue her soccer career at the University of Oregon.

Kourney Kutscher
Kutscher was a key figure in the midfield on last year’s undefeated team. The two-time Big West Conference honoree while at Cal State Northridge, Kuschner made the cut in 2017 to join the preseason roster for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League. The Temecula, California, native also played for the Swedish club IFK Västerås.

Kate Connelly
The Tucson native earned second-team all-region honors in 2017-18 and played for Salpointe Cathlic, where she was a key player for three state title teams. She has continued her playing career at Seattle University, playing in 14 matches this past season with a goal and an assist. She will join the FC Tucson team as a starting center back after the home opener due to her college commitments.

Meredith Scott
From Sahuarita, Scott piled up 47 goals and 23 in 16 games as a senior for Walden Grove High School. The Red Wolves fell to Kelly Pierce’s Salpointe Catholic in the 4A semifinals 4-2 on penalty kicks after playing to a 2-2 draw; Scott had both goals for Walden Grove and converted her PK. She was named to the Arizona Republic’s 2022 All-Arizona team. This is her first year with FC Tucson. Scott will attend Pima County Community College, which is coming off a NJCAA Division II National Championship appearance.

FC Tucson will open the season against El Paso Surf in the Lone Star State. El Paso is a Southern Texas youth organization that is part of Surf Select, which has various clubs across the country. Atomic City FC, SC del Sol and Arizona Arsenal all field girls and boys ranging from U-7 to U-19. FC Tucson is the only independent team in the conference.

FC Tucson heads to Kino North Stadium for its home opener on June 3 against El Paso Surf. Tickets are only $10.