There will be no dangling of the toes into the water for the Chico State women's soccer team in 2021. The Wildcats will be diving right into the deep end.
 
A total of 665 days have elapsed between the Wildcats' 2019 season finale and Saturday's 7 p.m. season opener at Azusa Pacific, which opened the regular season with a 4-0 drubbing of San Francisco State after knocking off Division I Cal State Bakersfield in an exhibition contest. The Wildcats will wrap up a two-match trip to Southern California at Biola (already 2-0-0) Monday at 11 a.m. Azusa Pacific and Biola are picked to finish third and fourth, respectively, in the GNAC this season.
 
Meanwhile, both of Chico State's scheduled exhibition matches were canceled due to poor air quality. So, with 25 players on the roster who have never taken the pitch for the Wildcats, they are going to find out quickly just how competitive they can be.
 
The California Collegiate Athletic Association's coaches appear to think highly of Head Coach Kim Sutton's young squad. The Wildcats are picked to finish fifth in the CCAA standings. They return eight starters, including 2019 All-CCAA selections Jordan Doukakis, Sarah Emigh, Susanna Garcia, and Camille Lidster.
 
With their fifth win of the season, Sutton (in her 26^th season at the Division II level and 21^st at Chico State) is primed to become just the 30^th coach in the history of NCAA Division II women's soccer to reach 250 career victories. She needs 10 more wins to reach 200 during her Chico State tenure.
 
Links to live stats and streaming video are available via the women's soccer schedule page at www.chicowildcats.com.

Health and Safety Protocols
At Azusa Pacific, "masks are encouraged but not required" for outdoor events.
 
Fans are encouraged to check the host team's website for ticketing and venue information before traveling to any match.