SAN DIEGO – The San Diego SeaLions open their 2017 WPSL Season on the road this Sunday, when they travel to Huntington Beach to face PacSouth Division rival Strikers FC – South Coast. And the SeaLions are hungry.

“We’re restless,” says SeaLions head coach Jen Lalor. “We feel like we could have won the WPSL title last year, and we have the chance to prove it this season.”

The nucleus of the 2016 SeaLions squad, which won 11 games and lost just one while outscoring opponents 33-7 and yielding a minuscule 10 goals in 13 games, returns this season, led by midfield general Rosie Tantillo-Colon (USC/FC Gold Pride) (6 assists / 3 goals); Defender Leigh Ann Brown (USD/FC Kansas City); forward Angelina Hix (Mira Costa College) (11 goals); goalkeeper Kaycee Gunion (CSU-San Marcos)(0.77 GAA); the versatile Elise Britt (UCLA) (4 goals); and Mexico Women’s National Team standout Jannelly Farias (UC Irvine).

“It was tough, getting so close last year. All of us left the field after that championship game with pits in our stomachs and it’s pushed us to work harder this pre-season,” agreed assistant coach Lu Snyder. “We try to establish, early on, a mindset in the team to expect to be playing post-season, and their hard work shows they have that determination.”

As usual in the PacSouth, no game is easy, and Strikers FC, formerly known as L.A. Salsa, played a difficult pre-season schedule against Xolas of Tijuana, Cal State Dominguez Hills, and Univ. of British Columbia Thunderbirds, in their desire to surpass last season’s 4th place PacSouth finish. They are led by their 2016 top-scorer Natalia Ledezma (UC-Irvine)(6 goals).

Sunday’s match kicks off at 4:00 p.m. at Ocean View HS Stadium, 17071 Gothard St., Huntington Beach, CA ). And if you can’t attend the game, follow it live on the ScoreStream App (www.scorestream.com).

The San Diego SeaLions are a non-profit 501c3 entity dedicated to fostering women's soccer coaching, playing, and business management opportunities. Formed in 1988, it’s one of the oldest and most successful women’s soccer clubs in the USA and is a charter member of the WPSL.

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