Susanna Garcia refers to herself as "small but strong," which might surprise Chico State women's soccer fans. Strong, yes. But small? That is not the word that comes to mind when thinking about the team's biggest threat.
The 2021 Second Team All-American and California Collegiate Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year, Sanna, as she likes to be called, led all CCAA student-athletes with seven goals and 17 points last season. Four of her goals were match-winners, and six gave the Wildcats the lead.
This year, as the primary target of opposing defenses, Garcia has three goals and two assists. She's now just one goal of becoming the 10th player in program history with 20 career goals, and two points shy of becoming the 10th player in program history to reach the 50-point mark. Garcia hopes to reach both of those milestones this weekend, not just for her personal scrapbook, but to help her team move closer to securing a California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament berth.
The Wildcats host Cal State Dominguez Hills Sunday at 7 p.m. and Cal State Monterey Bay Sunday at 2 p.m. Garcia is one of six seniors who will be honored prior to Sunday's match—the team's regular-season home finale—along with Mackenzie Gill, Taylor Russell, Alexi Vontsolos, Hunter Casperson, and Kelli Litchfield. That group has helped lead Chico State to an overall record of 7-3-4, the No. 7 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches West Region poll, and a 4-2-2 mark in conference play.
The Wildcats are in a three-way tie for third place with 14 points, just two behind conference co-leaders Cal State LA and Sonoma State, but also only three points ahead of seventh-place Cal State San Bernardino. The top six teams in the final regular-season standings will advance to the CCAA Tournament.
In the program's storied history, only nine players had been awarded All-America honors. Now in her fifth and final season, Garcia is the latest. The senior from Brentwood is also among the nation's highest-achieving student-athletes academically, having earned consecutive College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District honors. When the exercise physiology major graduates in May, she plans to pursue a career as a personal trainer.
"Sanna is a really special player, but what has made her a special member of our program is her ability to demand, command, and lead. Her teammates respect her not just as a player but as a leader who is willing to motivate by example and vocally by asking her teammates for their best every day," said head coach Kim Sutton. "She makes her teammates better players and better people and that will be her legacy in this program."
A nice postseason run would be the cherry on top. Getting there is the first step, and the Wildcats could take one or two big ones this weekend.
