Women's Soccer Adds 8 Transfers for 2025 Season
7/14/2025 11:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Cal Poly women’s soccer program added eight talented transfers over the course of the offseason that are set to join the Mustangs ahead of their upcoming season.
First-year Cal Poly women’s soccer head coach Bernardo Silva said he and his staff set out this winter and spring looking for student-athletes that would help contribute to their goal of contending for a Big West Championship right away in 2025, and he believes the Mustangs did just that with the addition of these eight transfers.
As a staff, we made the decision this offseason to fill a couple of positions that we believed required more depth, quality, and experience for us to be able to compete for a Big West Championship this fall. Players with great character, college playing experience and coming from environments where winning is ingrained in the culture were some of the most important traits we set out to add to our locker room. With these eight transfers, the six incoming high school players already signed to come in, and an already incredible group of returners, CAL POLY 2.0 is now a complete team ready to attack the fall with a balance of intensity and quality, a hunger to dominate all moments of the game, and an ability to adapt and do whatever it takes to win the gameHead Coach Bernardo Silva
Seven of the eight transfers are California natives with half of the players transferring from schools within the state. The transfer class is made up of three midfielders (Ruby Casey, Madelyn Dougherty and Julia Moore), three defenders (Ava Mirelez, Michelle Pham and Ally Thomas), one forward (Shelby Runje) and one goalkeeper (Alyssa Szarlacki). The experienced class of transfers has combined for 15,646 minutes played, 209 appearances and 174 starts across their collegiate careers. The eight transfers join the Mustangs six incoming freshmen — forwards Kenzie Herzing (Ladera Ranch, Calif.) and Kammy MacLennan (Portland, Ore.), midfielders Addie Crosno (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) and Farra Franklin (North Fork, Calif), and defenders Izzy Matteson (San Diego, Calif.) and Sam Walker (Danville, Calif.).
Julia Moore • Senior • Midfielder • Santa Cruz, CA • Long Beach State
Moore has already joined the Mustangs, enrolling at Cal Poly during the spring quarter after spending the past three years at Long Beach State. A three-year starter and a two-time All-Big West honoree, Moore amassed eight goals and five assists across 56 starts and over 4,490 minutes for the Beach.
Last season, she earned All-Big West Honorable Mention recognition after registering three goals and two assists across 15 starts for LBSU. As a freshman, the two-time Big West All-Academic honoree secured All-Big West Second Team honors after tallying one goal and two assists across 21 starts to help LBSU advance to the Big West Championship match. She currently has one season of eligibility remaining.
Julia is a proven top Big West midfielder that started and played every game at Long Beach State for the last three seasons. Her connection to our culture was immediate, and with her experience, incredible feel for the game, soccer IQ, playmaking abilities, as well as athleticism and mobility, Julia will add a ton of quality to an already very talented midfield line.Head Coach Bernardo Silva
Madelyn Dougherty • Grad Student • Midfielder • Kula, Hawai’i • Sacramento State
Another proven midfielder with plenty of experience, Dougherty joins the Mustangs after spending the past three seasons at Sacramento State where she started in all 57 matches she appeared in, compiling 4,867 total minutes, 72 shots, 38 shots on goal, three goals and three assists.
The three-time Big Sky Conference All-Academic honoree tallied two goals and two assists this past season to earn All-Big Sky Conference Honorable Mention praise. Her play helped Sacramento State capture its first Big Sky Championship in 14 years and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in school history. Dougherty has one year of eligibility remaining and will be pursuing a master’s in fire protection engineering at Cal Poly.
I had the pleasure of recruiting and coaching Madee during my time as the associate head coach at Sacramento State and she is an absolute dream for any coach to be around. Madee is a fit, resilient, quality box to box midfielder who brings a love for the game and a winning mindset to all that she does, and is coming off her best individual and collective year playing in the NCAA Tournament as a senior at Sacramento State.Head Coach Bernardo Silva
Ally Thomas • Redshirt Freshman • Defender • Newport Beach, CA • Ole Miss
Thomas arrives in San Luis Obispo after redshirting during her lone season at Ole Miss. The star-studded center back was a force while attending Newport Harbor High, earning All-Wave League First Team honors twice and being crowned team defensive MVP three times.
The two-time All-CIF Second Team selection helped the Sailors win a pair of conference titles. Starting at center back, Thomas helped Slammers FC finish in the top five at the ECNL National Playoffs in 2023. She has four years of eligibility remaining and will be majoring in Kinesiology at Cal Poly.
Ally is an athletic, tough, and physical hard-nosing center defender. With top level defending being a bit of a lost art, Ally’s love and joy for defending are unique and special. At Cal Poly 2.0, we teach to always have the same level of pride on both offense and defense, and Ally will bring that balance to our locker room. Her perspective coming from a winning culture during her club days at Slammers and her latest experience in a Power Four environment at Ole Miss make her a tremendous addition to what will be a newly remodeled backline.Head Coach Bernardo Silva
Shelby Runje • Junior • Forward • Issaquah, WA • Washington/Gonzaga
The only out-of-state transfer amongst the eight, Runje comes to Cal Poly after one-year stints at both University of Washington and Gonzaga. The former Washington Gatorade Player of the Year appeared in just one match at Washington last season after taking the pitch in all 20 matches during her freshman season at Gonzaga in 2023. Runje was named to the All-West Coast Conference Freshman Team after burying five goals to help the Bulldogs capture their first WCC title and first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 18 years. She also played 26 minutes in Gonzaga’s NCAA First Round victory over Idaho, the program’s NCAA Tournament win.
Runje made her first collegiate start in a match at Cal Poly two years ago while with the Bulldogs and netted a brace in a win over Weber State. Across her career at Issaquah High School, she tallied 58 goals and 31 assists and earned All-American honors.
Shelby is a dynamic and creative forward with quick feet and a knack for scoring goals. Similar to other recruits in this class, the connection between Shelby and the team was evident from the moment they met, and her desire to be a Mustang was mutual to our desire to have her with us. She is a tremendous young woman who will add goals and chances created to our program and be a nightmare for defenders to deal with.Head Coach Bernardo Silva
Ruby Casey • Sophomore • Midfielder • Orange, CA • Miami Ohio
This past season at Miami Ohio University, Casey played a pivotal role in the midfield, starting in all 17 matches she appeared in for the RedHawks. She racked up 1,435 total minutes on the pitch, never leaving the field in 15 matches and earning a start in 15 consecutive matches to end the season.
Casey, who finished with 17 shots last season, helped Santa Margarita Catholic High capture league, CIF and regional titles during her prep career, securing Second Team All-League and Coaches MVP honors. She enters Cal Poly with three years of eligibility remaining.
I recruited Ruby Casey during her club years at Slammers HBK as I truly admired her warrior mindset whenever she was on the field. It was no surprise to witness her success as a freshman at Miami Ohio and I’m so happy that she chose to join our program in this pivotal time. As a holding center-midfielder, Ruby brings quality as a deep playmaker, aerial ability, and a balance of grit and quality to her game that perfectly represents the identity of Cal Poly 2.0.Head Coach Bernardo Silva
Ava Mirelez • Sophomore • Defender • Clovis, CA • Cal State Fullerton
Mirelez made 11 appearances last year on Cal State Fullerton’s backline. She earned her first career start and played a season-high 79 minutes in a Big West Championship First Round match against UC Santa Barbara, and was a part of two shutout victories by the Titans.
Mirelez, whose older sister, Mia, also played at Cal State Fullerton from 2022-23, was a team captain and First Team All-League honoree at Clovis North High, helping Broncos win two conference titles. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year played club for Clovis Crossfire and has three years of eligibility remaining.
Ava is the symbol of grit. Born and raised in the Central Valley, Ava comes from an amazing family that I have been connected to for many years. Watching her through club soccer at Clovis Crossfire and following the start of her college career at Cal State Fullerton last year makes me beyond excited to have her join our program as we look to add a layer of grit to our foundation. Ava’s top defending abilities and experience playing in the Big West will add quality and depth to our backline, and she has the opportunity to have an immediate impact.Head Coach Bernardo Silva
Alyssa Szarlacki • Redshirt Junior • Goalkeeper • San Jose, CA • Nevada
The lone goalkeeper among the incoming group of transfers, Szarlacki started in 14 matches across three seasons at Nevada. This past year she started in 13 matches, posting a 1.85 goals against average, a .724 save percentage and four clean sheets while making 63 saves across 1,170 minutes. The Wolf Pack went 5-7-1 in matches Szarlacki played in and she made a career-high 10 saves in a 2024 season-opening victory at Kansas State.
Szarlacki was a four-year letterwinner at Pioneer High, serving as a team captain and earning Goalkeeper of the Year honors. She has two years of eligibility remaining and her mother, Julie, played softball at Cal Poly.
Alyssa brings collegiate goalkeeping experience to our program which was a must to add to our current goalkeeper union. Alyssa is a top athlete, is fearless off her line, possesses great communication and leadership skills, and is confident with her distribution. After recruiting her during my time as the associate head coach at Sacramento State, I’m excited to now have the opportunity to work with her and see the new heights we will achieve together at Cal Poly.Head Coach Bernardo Silva
Michelle Pham • Junior • Defender • Garden Grove, CA • San Francisco State
The only non-Division I transfer in this class, Pham made 33 appearances and 25 starts at Division II San Francisco State over the past two seasons. This past year, she started in all 18 matches for the Gators, leading the team in minutes played (1,532) and playing all 90 minutes in 15 matches while earning team defensive MVP honors.
As a freshman in 2023, she scored her first collegiate goal against Cal State San Bernardino and was called up to the Peruvian U20 National Team for the first time. The two-time CCAA All-Academic honoree was an All-Empire League First Team selection at Pacifica High, guiding the team to three league titles.
Michelle was the last piece we needed to add to round out this top transfer recruiting class. Michelle is an athletic 1v1 defender with the unique ability to penetrate on the dribble and contribute offensively from deeper areas. Her work ethic, humility, respect, and desire to be a Mustang were felt since the first day we connected. These traits together with Michelle’s international playing experience with the Peruvian national team will add quality, perspective and diversity to our locker room.Head Coach Bernardo Silva
