The Chico State women's soccer team boasted one of the top defenses in all of Division II this season, and Wednesday those efforts were recognized as part of the announcement of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) All-Conference team. Six Wildcats were honored: defender Nicole Fairbanks is a First Team pick; goalkeeper Emma Hofmann, midfielder Brynn Howard, and forward Susanna Garcia are Second Team selections; and forwards Piper Matson and Mackenzie Gill garnered honorable mention.
Chico State and Sonoma State tied with four first or second team All-CCAA selections apiece. The announcement comes two days before they square off in the CCAA Tournament semifinals Friday at 11:30 a.m. Cal State LA and Stanislaus State will play in the other semifinal at 2 p.m. The semifinal winners move on to the CCAA Tournament title match scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. where an automatic berth in the NCAA Championship Tournament will be on the line.
Every Conference Tournament match will be broadcast on the CCAA Network. Links to the broadcast, as well as ticketing and live stats, are available at
www.ChicoWildcats.com in the calendar section on the homepage and on the men's soccer schedule page. Access to the video stream does require a subscription fee granting users access to every event on the CCAA Network, home and away.
Fairbanks has fought back from two devastating knee injuries to become one of the nation's most effective defenders. The junior from Livermore anchored a back third that led the CCAA in goals against average (0.44) by a wide margin. The Wildcats were even better in conference play, limiting teams to four goals in 11 matches.
Nationally, the Wildcats rank eighth in the nation with 10 shutouts and 10th in goals-against average (0.451). Hofmann, who leads the CCAA with a save percentage of .881, is a major reason why. The 2021 CCAA Freshman of the Year is now Second Team All-CCAA for the second consecutive season.
Howard, who hammered the match-winning goal in the Wildcats' first round CCAA Tournament win Sunday, also played a crucial role on the defensive side this season as the team's defensive holding midfielder. She finished with three goals, two of which were match winners.
Garcia, a 2021 United Soccer Coaches All-American and the 2021 CCAA Offensive Player of the Year, is among the program's all-time leaders in goals and points. She's scored three goals and dished out a pair of assists this season.
Gill was the Wildcats' leading scorer in 2022, finishing with four goals and three assists. Matson is the lone newcomer to the program to earn All-Conference recognition. The Western Oregon University transfer finished the regular season with three goals and two assists.
Chico State's 2022 All-CCAA Selections
First Team
Nicole Fairbanks – Defender
Second Team
Susanna Garcia – Forward
Brynn Howard – Midfielder
Emma Hofmann – Goalkeeper
Honorable Mention
Piper Matson – Forward
Mackenzie Gill - Forward
2022 CCAA Women's Soccer Tournament
at campus sites
Sunday, Oct. 30 - First Round
Match 1: #4 Chico State 2, #5 Cal Poly Humboldt 1 (OT)
Match 2: #3 Cal State LA 2, #6 Cal Poly Pomona 0
at Seawolf Soccer Field, Sonoma State, Rohnert Park, Calif.
Friday, Nov. 4 - Semifinals
Match 3: #1 Sonoma State vs. #4 Chico State, 11:30 a.m.
Match 4: #2 Stanislaus State vs. #3 Cal State LA, 2 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 6 - Championship
Match 5: Match 3 Winner vs. Match 4 Winner, 1 p.m.
"The Rivalries," Featuring Chico State Soccer, Premieres Tonight
Docu-series episode scheduled to air on LG Smart TVs at 5 p.m., 8 p.m., and 11 p.m.
The LG docu-series "The Rivalries" will premiere tonight at 5 p.m., Pacific, on LG Smart TVs. Available exclusively on the NCAA Championships Channel (Channel 100) via LG Channels, a free streaming service available exclusively on LG Smart TVs, the episode captures the history of the Chico State-Cal Poly Humboldt soccer rivalry. It culminates with the September 17 doubleheader between the teams in Chico.
The production crew split the week leading up to the match between Arcata and Chico, interviewing current and former players and coaches, and capturing the scenes of the respective universities and communities. "The Rivalries" docu-series is presented by LG USA in partnership with the NCAA. Following Wednesday's 5 p.m. premiere, the episode will be re-aired at 8 p.m. and again at 11 p.m. It is titled "The Battle for the North."
"The Rivalries" endeavors to give viewers access to some of the greatest rivalries in small-college sports. Each episode highlights a different sports rivalry as told through interviews, historical moments, and the most recent game footage.
The exclusive content series is part of a three-year partnership with the NCAA, Turner Sports, and CBS Sports for category exclusive marketing and distribution rights to NCAA Championship competitions that will expand the reach of college sports to legions of current fans and generations of new ones. LG's support of the NCAA Championships will include multiple initiatives to inspire fans and support student athletes including the recent launch of the NCAA Championships Channel, which will feature up to 50 NCAA Fall, Winter and Spring championships, both live and on-demand via LG's exclusive free streaming service, LG Channels.
Learn more about LG's NCAA partnership, The Rivalries docu-series and the NCAA Channel exclusively on LG Smart TVs, by visiting
LG.com/NCAA.
