Out west is where it all began. Twenty-six years later, two of the WPSL’s founding teams are back in the hunt for another West Region title. The Pac North Conference leads the pack with four teams in the top 10—three in the top five. Down south, preseason number two, Sand Diego Surf, look to repeat as Plymouth Division and So Cal Conference Champions, while two new entrants in the Northwest Conference, Seattle Reign FC II and Portland Thorns FC II, look to unseat the eighth-ranked Westside Metros FC as conference champions. And with two teams in the Top 10, reigning West Region champions, SC del Sol, the Desert Conference is shaping up to be contentious from the get-go. 

 

1.           CALIFORNIA STORM Pac North Conference

After hoisting the Jerry Zanelli Cup in 2022—named in memory of WPSL founder and longtime Storm coach—the Storm fell just short in 2023, falling in the West Region final after going 8-1-0 in the regular season—five points clear atop the ultra-completive Pac North Conference. One of the league’s two co-founding clubs, the Storm is the winningest club in league history with four WPSL championships. 

              Schedule — *Ranked Opponent (Regional Ranking)

*May 30 (3) Lamorinda United
*June 1 (4) Fresno Freeze FC
June 9 @ BattleBorn Futbol Club
June 19 Iron Rose FC
*June 25 @ (7) San Francisco Nighthawks
June 27 @ San Ramone FC
June 30 San Francisco Elite Soccer Club
July 2 @ FC Davis
July 3 @ Napa Valley 1839 FC
 

2.           SAN DIEGO SURF So Cal Conference — Plymouth Division

Winner of the Plymouth Division in the club’s debut WPSL season, the Surf came up just short in the So Cal Conference championship match. Finishing 7-0-1 in Plymouth Division play, ranked third in the West and 18th nationally, the Surf is the only ranked team in the division entering the 2024 season. 

             Schedule

May 19 ALBION San Diego
May 26 @ So Cal Union FC
June 1 @ San Diego Parceiro Ladies
June 2 @ SoCal Dutch Lions FC
June 9 San Diego Parceiro Ladies
June 15 Rebels Soccer Club
June 16 SoCal Dutch Lions FC
June 30 @ San Diego Strikers
 

3.           LAMORINDA UNITED Pac North Conference

In three WPSL seasons, Lamorinda United has lost only two games, posting an impressive 21-2-6 record in one of the toughest conferences in the league. Going 5-1-3 last season, the club finished ranked fourth in the region and 22nd nationally. 

Schedule — *Ranked Opponent (Regional Ranking)

May 26 BattleBorn Futbol Club
*May 30 @ (1) California Storm
June 5 Napa Valley 1839 FC
June 12 @ FC Davis
June 27 Iron Rose FC
June 29 @ San Francisco Elite Soccer Club
July 2 @ San Ramon FC
*July 6 @ (4) Fresno Freeze FC
*July 7 @ (7) San Francisco Nighthawks

 

4.           FRESNO FREEZE Pac North Conference

Facing the first^t and seventh ranked teams as part of a four-game road swing to start the season, Fresno has a daunting task to improve on its unbeaten 5-0-4 record from 2023. The Freeze finished second in the Pac North last season, ranked 23rd in the nation and 5th in the West Region. Entering its sixth WPSL season, the club is 23-6-12 all-time. 

             Schedule — *Ranked Opponent (Regional Ranking)

*May 25 @ (7) San Francisco Nighthawks
*June 1 @ (1) California Storm
June 8 @ San Francisco Elite Soccer Club
June 16 @ San Ramon FC
June 22 BattleBorn Futbol Club
June 23 Napa Valley 1839 FC
June 29 Iron Rose FC
June 30 FC Davis
*July 6 (3) Lamorinda United

5.           SC del SOL Desert Conference

Winner of the incredibly competitive Desert Conference in 2023, SC del Sol finished the season 6-2-0—four points clear of second place. After knocking off the defending WPSL champions California Storm in the West Region final, the Phoenix-based club finished the year ranked 10th in the West Region. 
 

             Schedule — *Ranked Opponent (Regional Ranking)

May 19 @ El Paso Surf
*May 25 @ (9) Royals AZ
May 31 El Paso Surf
June 1 @ FC Tucson
June 5 Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club
June 15 @ Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club
June 22 @ RSL
*June 26 @ (9) Royals AZ
June 28 FC Tucson
June 29 @ RSL Southern Arizona
 

6.           LA SURF SOCCER CLUB So Cal Conference — Coastal Division

Entering its 12th WPSL season, LA Surf is the longest-tenured team in the So Cal conference. The Surf went 5-2-2 in division play in 2023, finishing third in the division and ranked 6th in the West Region. 

              Schedule — *Ranked Opponent (Regional Ranking)

*May 26 (10) FC Premier Women
May 31 MISS KICK FC
June 2 @ Southern California Eagles
June 16 @ MISS KICK FC
June 21 @ Beach Futbol Club
June 23 Southern California Eagles
*June 28 @ (10) FC Premier Women
June 30 Beach Futbol Club
 

7.           SAN FRANCISCO NIGHTHAWKS Pac North Conference 

The other half of the WPSL founding members, the San Francisco is looking to rebound from a disappointing fourth-place Pac North Conference finish, which left the Nighthawks ranked 8th in the West Region at the close of 2023. The legacy club is 96-155-38 all-time in WPSL play. 

             Schedule — *Ranked Opponent (Regional Ranking)

*May 25 (4) Fresno Freeze FC
May 29 @ San Francisco Elite Soccer Club
June 2 @ BattleBorn Futbol Club
June 9 @ San Ramon FC
June 15 @ Iron Rose FC
June 22 @ FC Davis
*June 25 (1) California Storm
June 29 Napa Valley 1839 FC
*July 7 (3) Lamorinda United
 

8.           WESTSIDE METROS FC  Northwest Conference

Reigning conference champions, Westside is the only team from the expanded Northwest Conference in the region’s Top 10. The Metros went 4-1-1 in 2023, falling to the California Storm 1-0 in the West Region Playoffs semifinal. The club is 19-31-13 all-time entering its ninth season of WPSL play. 

             Schedule

May 26 @ Portland Thorns II
June 1 @ Spokane SC Shadow
June 8 Seattle Reign FC II
June 9 @ Vancouver Victory
June 15 Vancouver Victory
June 23 @ Seattle Reign FC II
June 30 Spokane SC
July 7 Portland Thorns II

 

9.           ROYALS AZ Desert Conference

Entering its second WPSL season, the Royals look to build on its second-place conference finish from 2023, going 4-2-2, leading the Desert Conference with a plus-13 goal differential. Royals AZ finished 2023 ranked ninth in the West Region.  

              Schedule — *Ranked Opponent (Regional Ranking)

May 23 @ Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club
*May 25 (5) SC del Sol
June 1 @ RSL Southern Arizona
June 8 @ El Paso Surf
June 14 RSL Southern Arizona
June 15 FC Tucson
June 20 Arizona Arsenal Soccer Club
June 22 @ FC Tucson
*June 26 @ (5) SC del Sol
June 28 El Paso Surf

 

10.        FC PREMIER WOMEN So Cal Conference — Coastal Division

Last season was the club’s most successful WPSL campaign to date, going 6-3-1 in one of the most competitive divisions in the region. The club is 14-19-4 all-time entering its fourth season of WPSL play. 

              Schedule — *Ranked Opponent (Regional Ranking)

May 24 Southern California Eagles
*May 26 @ (6) LA Surf Soccer Club
June 2 @ Beach Futbol Club
June 7 MISS KICK FC
June 9 Beach Futbol Club
June 14 @ Southern California Eagles
June 23 @ MISS KICK FC
*June 28 (6) LA Surf Soccer Club

 

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Rankings are compiled by RankR, featuring the Elo Ranking System, an objective, performance based ranking order based on record, goals for and against, match location, relative strength of opponent, and playoff matches. To avoid any subjective or biased results, human voting is not part of the Elo Ranking System process.