By Bill Sheehan

When Cal State Fullerton's women's soccer team lost its Big West Conference opener to UC Riverside last month and had a losing overall record, it was a major wakeup call for midfielder Isabella Cruz and her teammates.

The 3-1 loss at Riverside "was a shock. It made us realize we needed to step it up and play our game," said Cruz, a sophomore from Kerman, 19 miles west of Fresno. "We started practicing at game speed and worked harder."

At the same time, the team's health finally improved after a spate of early-season injuries. Fullerton head coach Demian Brown, who had been shuffling his lineup, was finally able to restore players to their natural positions.

The combined result: The Titans haven't lost a game since.

Fullerton (6-4-7, 4-1-3 in Big West play) will be seeking its fourth straight win when it plays arch-rival Long Beach State (9-5-3, 4-2-2) at 5 p.m. Sunday at Titan Stadium.

"Our goal was to host a Big West Tournament high-seed game, so we needed to rack up the points," said Cruz, who is called Bella by her family and friends. "Demian always tells us the next game is the most important game of the year. We use that in our mindset, and that really does motivate us."

Brown was constantly juggling lineups in the first half of the season. "Injuries put us in a bad spot, so it was 'Let's try this, let's try that,' " he said.

The return of defender Maddie Phantumabamrung, who had been slowed by injuries and Covid, provided a big boost, he said. "Maddie P.'s (center-back) return allowed us to move Olivia Peraza from center-back to defensive midfielder. That, in turn, allowed us to move Bella from defensive midfielder to attacking midfielder."

"Bella is more comfortable playing closer to the goal. She has been a massive sparkplug for us with her ability to attack, pass and operate in the middle of the field. And the emergence of Jenae Perez, a defensive midfielder, has complemented her too," he said.

Cruz, who has started all 17 games, has two goals and four assists. She and Kaylin Raibon each have a team-high eight points. Cruz's goals came on penalty kicks – a

game-tying score in a 1-1 draw at UC Santa Barbara and an opening salvo in a 2-0 shutout against UC Irvine.

"She is uber-confident and knows she is going to do well, which makes her a good person for penalty kicks," said Brown, who is in his 17th year as head coach. "She exudes confidence, and we let those players do what they want to do."

"Last year, Bella played behind Samantha McKenna, a sixth-year player and team captain who ate up a lot of minutes. But Bella always impressed me, and she had a fantastic spring, which she has continued to build on," he said.

"I've gotten to know Demian better this year. He practices tough love, and he expects a lot out of me," said Cruz. "I've learned to accept his constructive criticism because he is trying to make me a better soccer player overall."

This team, which lost 12 seniors from 2022, has had to rely on underclassmen this season. "We built a family environment in the spring, and we have a good, solid core group," said Cruz. "My confidence has grown, and I've been taking more of a leadership role."

Cruz has a lot of energy and passion on and off the field, Raibon said. "She gives 100% effort in every training session and game and is a team leader. In the weight room, she pushes everyone to be their best and is there to support others."

"One of Bella's strengths I admire is her resilience and how she stays positive in difficult situations. Things are not always going to go your way – it just matters how you get through it. And Bella is a great example of someone who never gives up when facing a challenge," said Raibon, who is a sophomore defender from Laguna Niguel.

"She is kind, caring and has a lot of compassion. She's always dancing and making others laugh. And she can cheer up someone when they are feeling down."

It's fun having soccer conversations with Cruz because she lives the game, said Brown. "She is a really big soccer junkie and is a huge fan of the Mexican national team."

The 5-foot-6 Cruz comes from a soccer family. Her father, Jesus, coached youth soccer, and several uncles played collegiate soccer. Her brother, Sebastian, 23, starred at Cal State Fullerton – he was the Big West 2022 Midfielder of the Year -- before signing with Sporting Kansas City II in March. He has been called up to Kansas City's MLS team twice. Her 16-year-old brother Alexander is a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy Academy.

Her parents are both educators. Jesus is the superintendent and principal of the Washington Colony Elementary School District in Easton, seven miles southwest of Fresno. Aydee is a counselor at Madera South High School.

Cruz tagged along to Sebastian's practices and games before joining a youth soccer league at age 4. "When she was older, she told me, 'You are always coaching Sebastian. When are you going to coach me?' " said her father. "I then coached her teams in the ages eight-, nine- and 10-year-old recreational league, and we won a championship."


Isabella Cruz began playing youth soccer as a 4-year-old. She competed for several club teams as well as Kerman High School in the San Joaquin Valley. 

"Bella is a very creative player, with good vision in the field," said Jesus, who has attended nearly all of Fullerton's games this season. "She can create dangerous plays on offense and is still able to see what is going on with her team's defense."

Cruz played for several soccer clubs over the years, including the California Odyssey and the Cal Cosmos, now the Albion Central Valley. Cruz's first travel team was the Madera Vipers, and her final club was the Clovis Crossfire.

At Kerman High School, Cruz was team MVP all four years and served as captain in her final three years. She led Kerman to the Tri-County Conference Championships in 2020 and 2021. In her senior year, Kerman won the 2021 CIF Division 4 Championship and reached the semifinals of the State Tournament.


As a senior, Isabella Cruz led Kerman to the Tri-County Conference Championship and the semifinals of the State Tournament. 

She also lettered in cross-country and track and field as a freshman and a sophomore and tennis as a senior. Cruz was the team MVP in cross-country as a sophomore. "Cross country and track help me build up my conditioning, which was especially important since midfielders are racing back and forth across the field," she said.

Cruz received the Principal's Award all four years of high school and carried a 4.16 grade point average. She had offers from other schools but said Fullerton had a special place in her heart. "I've always thought, 'What a beautiful stadium Fullerton has on its campus. Wouldn't it be amazing to play there?' All the girls on the team were super-welcoming. And to share one year at the school with my brother was a big plus," she said.

A communications major with a concentration in advertising, Cruz enjoys graphic design and working with software such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. She handled social media for Kerman High School's sports teams and has done some rebranding, social media posts and flyers in her Fullerton classes. She plans to graduate in three years and then work on a master's degree in communications.

Cruz is hoping the Titans make a lot more headlines on print and online media.

"We have great team chemistry, and we have the capability to win our conference," she said. "We have to keep the momentum going and keep our mind on the ultimate goal, which is winning the Big West Tournament and reaching the NCAAs."

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