July 16, 2026
photo by John Sadiarin, WPSL 2026
By Andrew Mosier, WPSL Communications
When it comes to elite women’s amateur soccer, California Storm is the benchmark.
Founded in 1995 by Jerry Zanelli, who three years later would be instrumental in forming the WPSL and since 2018, for whom the WPSL Championship trophy is named, the club has set the standard for women’s soccer on and off the field, developing some of the iconic names in U.S. women’s soccer along the way.
This weekend California Storm looks to raise the Jerry Zanelli Cup for the third time in the last five years, winning in 2022 and 2024 to bring its total number of WPSL championships to five in the 28-season history of the league. In 2025 Storm fell just short, falling in the WPSL Championships Final to Sporting CT.
“It means a lot to our club and the players to be advancing to the WPSL Championships. We have a good core that were here last year and a handful of players that this is their first time. It is a goal of ours to get here each year,” Jamie Levoy, California Storm executive director, said. “The players and staff have worked incredibly hard this season to make it to the WPSL Championship. It is a privilege to be playing in it the past few years.”
On Saturday faces Heartland Division, Midwest Conference, and Central Region winners Kansas City Current II in the 2026 WPSL Championships Semifinals. Kickoff is slated for not before 11:30am CDT, with the winners advancing to the WPSL Championships Final on Sunday at 7 p.m.
“We have had quite a few players that have really impressed the staff during the regional playoffs. In the championship game, we had eight different players score. The goalkeeping and defense was solid throughout the playoff matches with not allowing a single goal,” Levoy said
Storm enters Saturday’s semifinal match unbeaten in WPSL play this season, going 9-1-0 to win the Sacramento Valley Division. After a pair of convincing shutout wins versus expansion side Yuba Football Club to open the season, followed by a set of wins over Nevada Football Club in Week Three, Storm suffered its only blemish of the season, playing Iron Rose FC to a 1-1 draw on a Friday evening at Davis Legacy Soccer Complex, conceding a goal for the first time in league play all season.
Storm rebounded two days later with a shutout win at home over Napa Valley 1839 FC, winning again in the return match eight days later. Storm closed out the regular season with a pair of Davis Derby wins over FC Davis and a 3-1 win over Iron Rose FC.
With the Sacramento Division title in hand, Storm advanced to the NorCal Conference Championship match, where it faced its oldest rival and sister WPSL founding club, San Francisco Nighthawks. Kennedy Mayo and Jordyn Wickes both tallied braces, and Ciara Wilson added a goal as Storm rolled over its familiar foe 5-0 to clinch its fourth consecutive NorCal Conference title and advance to the West Region Playoffs.
Mayo leads the club with seven goals on the season, followed by Dalia Asad with six goals.
Fortuitously, it was the NorCal Conference’s turn to host the West Region Playoffs, which rotates every year to the four conferences that make up the West Region.
Playing in front of its fervent fanbase, Storm marched passed SoCal Conference champs, So Cal Union FC 3-0 behind a brace by Asad. Erica Grilione added the third and Abbie Faingold kept the clean sheet in goal as Storm advanced to its league record 12th conference final to face Spokane Shadow from the Pac Northwest Conference.
Alex Kloss, Grilione, Paige Thompson, Anna Gilbertson, Ella Cochon, Savannah Schwarze, and Susie Long all scored goals as Storm ran away with the match and its fourth West Region title in the last five years.
Storm enters Saturday’s WPSL Championships semifinal tally 56 goals, conceding only three. Goalkeeper Abbie Faingold takes eight clean sheets into Saturday morning’s semifinal.
Five-time WPSL champions and 2025 runners-up California Storm take on Central Region winners Kansas City Current II Saturday at 11:30 a.m. CDT in the second WPSL Championships semifinal match of the day. New York Athletic Club and Georgia Impact kick off play at 9 a.m. Semifinal winners face off at 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 19 at Riverside Stadium. Purchase tickets here. All three matches will be available live and on demand on WPSL.TV.
