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Saint Mary’s women’s soccer has already made history in 2026. Four matches have resulted in four shutouts for the first time in program history. 

The strong start to the season should not come as a surprise as Saint Mary’s put the rest of the West Coast Conference on notice last season when the Gaels just narrowly missed winning the conference championship after posting a conference record of 7-1-3. Saint Mary’s has not lost in its last 10 matches dating back to last season. 

The clean sheets have come against tough competition, as well. The Gaels most recently came away with a 0-0 draw against No. 14 Georgetown. 

Last year was about building the standards of becoming a winning program. Now that the foundation has been set, the Gaels are focused on taking last year’s success to a new level in 2026. 

“I’m proud of the strong start we’ve had to the season,” Gaels’ head coach Theresa Romagnolo said. “We continue to learn and grow from different moments within each game and we are looking forward to continuing to add layers to our identity.”

Voted by her peers as the 2025 West Coast Conference Coach of the Year, Romagnolo once again has her squad playing disciplined soccer on both sides of the pitch. The Gaels are one of just 18 Division I teams to have not allowed a goal yet in 2026. 

After not playing in 2025, goalkeeper Soraya Souvanaphong stepped into the starting role this season after 2025 West Coast Conference Goalkeeper of the Year Kate Plachy was injured during offseason training.

While it’s big shoes to fill, Souvanaphong enjoyed the benefit of being on last year’s team, experiencing the growth of the winning culture and watching Plachy build upon her award-winning season. Souvanaphong knows what’s expected of her as long as she’s in goal, and she’s up to the challenge. 

“Stepping into that role after her [Plachy’s] injury definitely comes with a lot of responsibility,” Souvanaphong said. “At the same time, I’ve tried to look at it as an opportunity rather than focusing on the circumstances. I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am today, and although having such a big role on this team came earlier than expected, I plan to take it as far as I can, maintaining the high standard of soccer that Saint Mary’s embodies.”

The elite team defensive play is helping Souvanaphong get more acclimated between the pipes. Through the first four games, she has only been called upon to make eight saves as the Gaels collectively are limiting opponent scoring opportunities. Souvanaphong garnered a season-best three saves last Sunday against Georgetown. 

Her teammate and defender Anna Emperador views the mentality as not just collecting saves, but not even allowing opposing offenses to get shots off. 

“Every block, clearance and recovery run are treated just as important as scoring a goal,” Emperador said. “That mentality of doing whatever it takes to keep the ball out of the net is what this group has bought into.”

Fueling that back line are Gaels eager to get back in the action and make up for lost time. Emperador, who missed nearly all last season due to injury, has returned, played nearly the full 360 minutes this season and she has been a key contributor to the stingy defense.

For Emperador, she said every day feels like a gift to her. 

“While sitting out most of last season, it taught me to not take anything for granted,” she said. “I even started missing the soreness in my legs after a hard practice or game. I worked every day since my surgery and I have been back feeling stronger, fitter and better than ever. My team was there every step of the way for me. I want to give everything I have and more to them.”

She and Faith Gunter — who didn’t play at all last year and has gone the full 90 minutes in every match this season — have formed a reliable partnership in the heart of the defense.

 “Anna and Faith are complementing each other well at the center back position,” Romagnolo said. “They’ve been a great pairing and complement each other well. We are excited to have them both back.”

There’s been more pleasant surprises to the team like the impact of returners Molly Silva and Aleiyah Schexnayder. How they have grown more confident with their roles after all their minutes played last season has been exciting to see, according to Romagnolo.

All these impactful student-athletes on defense help propel the offense to attack at the other end. 

The Gaels scored three times against UC Davis and four times against Fresno State, turning stops into quick transitions and sustained pressure. 2025 West Coast Conference Women’s Soccer Preseason Team honoree Ashlyn Vaughn is tied for the team lead in points (4) and goals (2) with Brianna Jurasek who scored twice in the 4-0 win over Fresno State. 

“Our front six work very hard to win the ball back,” Romagnolo said. “They are a massive part of our great team defense and we look to attack in moments of attacking transition or build. We want to be a team that has a great defensive and attacking identity. Great defense leaves them with more opportunities to attack and control the game.”

The non-conference tuneups against teams like Georgetown and this Sunday at USC will no doubt prepare Saint Mary’s for the competitive conference slate later in the season. With matchups against perennial contenders Pepperdine and Santa Clara on the horizon, the Gaels know the standard only rises from here.

“Teams like Pepperdine and Santa Clara are super competitive, so we’re going to have to be at our best in those games,” Souvanaphong said. “I’ve gotten a lot of confidence from these first few games, but I also know that there’s always going to be more to learn.”

The Gaels will celebrate the wins, hopefully with a clean sheet, and then move on to what’s next as they’re just getting started.