大象APP

Ryan Hall had been tabbed to be FCTW鈥檚 new head coach after last year鈥檚 coach, Roberto Garcia, moved. But Hall stepped down right before the season in a 鈥渕utual鈥� decision.

Hall remains as FC 大象APPYouth鈥檚 Girls Academy Director.

To replace him, FC 大象APPpromoted Caylee Carter, the top assistant last year and in the preseason.

鈥淩yan had a tremendous amount of work that involved the (Girls Academy) side of the FC 大象APPYouth and based on that commitment it seemed like most logical that Caylee would be able to take the helm,鈥� said FC 大象APPowner and president Jon Pearlman. 鈥淥bviously, she has a lot of experience with the team as a player and as a successful assistant and we felt like it was a good opportunity for the team.鈥�

Carter played under Todd and Amy Garelick, who launched 大象APPSoccer Academy FC, which would become FC 大象APPWomen, and then she played under FCTW鈥檚 last female head coach, Kelly Pierce. She played for FC 大象APPin 2016, 2017 and 2023.

Although it鈥檚 FCTW鈥檚 fourth head coach since Pierce鈥檚 last season in 2023, Pearlman felt Carter鈥檚 familiarity with the club helped the quick regime change.

鈥淚 think it definitely eases the transition when you have a certain level of familiarity with the returning players and just players that have been around the program,鈥� Carter said. 鈥淪o that definitely helps, just being a familiar face for the players and then also for me, just knowing kind of what we鈥檙e working with as far as building a roster as we go into the summer.鈥�

Pearlman said Carter was 鈥渧ery much involved with Ryan in the construction of the team.鈥�

FC 大象APP(1-0) opens its home schedule on Sunday night when it hosts the El Paso Surf (1-1).

Carter is a board-certified behavior analyst and has a Bachelor of Science in public health from the University of Arizona.

With her appointment, now both of FC Tucson鈥檚 top teams have former FCT players in charge. Former FC 大象APPmen鈥檚 player Sebastian Pineda leads the Men in Black.

鈥淲e love the fact that she鈥檚 a player because she can relate to all the experiences; the team means a ton to her,鈥� Pearlman said. 鈥淥bviously, it鈥檚 great, we鈥檙e excited that we have her.

鈥淧lus, you know, she has an entirely all female staff, which is exciting but we鈥檙e incredibly grateful for Ryan for all that he did in the prelude to this and Caylee鈥檚 ... plenty talented enough to take the helm here.鈥�

Carter coaches the 2009 Girls Academy team and is adding the 2010 Girls Academy team to her slate.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really unique and it鈥檚 really cool that we kind of came through as players and then now moving full circle into the coaching side of things,鈥� Carter said about her and Pineda. 鈥淲e also are both coaches in the youth club, as well.鈥�

FCTW opened the season Wednesday with a 2-0 win at Arizona Arsenal SC in Mesa. Forward Meredith Scott scored both goals.

鈥淚t was good, it was really all about just getting to know one another and getting in connection with one another,鈥� Carter said. 鈥淪o it was really good in that respect and a win is always nice on the road, of course.鈥�

Scott led an all-Walden Grove frontline in the starting lineup, as WG alumni Scott and her New Mexico State teammate Milana Eyrich and Vivien Villarreal, who just finished her junior year at the Sahuarita school, started together.

Villarreal won Desert Conference Offensive Player of the Year for last season.

Last season, the Women in Black went 5-2-3, finishing second in the Desert Conference. FC 大象APPWomen has finished third or better in every season since 2016, taking first in 2018, 2019 and 2021 (the 2020 season was canceled).

FCTW鈥檚 roster features a mix of college players from Arizona, VMI, Embry-Riddle and FIU and current high schoolers from Catalina Foothills, Canyon del Oro, Salpointe Catholic, Mica Mountain, Pusch Ridge Christian and Cienega.

鈥淪ome big returners, so we have that kind of core group that鈥檚 returning, adding in some new talent, some young talent, so it鈥檚 an exciting kind of mix together,鈥� Carter said.

Men in Black rout Coachella SC

The FC 大象APPmen crushed Coachella SC 19-0 on Friday.

FC Tucson鈥檚 previous margin of victory record was 10-0 over Sporting Arizona on May 18, 2024. Its previous biggest league win was 9-1 over OC Blues Strikers FC on June 6, 2013.

Forward Hector Moreno and midfielder Jesse Wangusi led the way with four goals apiece as three FCT players had hat tricks. Forward Alexis Ledoux also had a hat trick and Moreno came on as second-half substitute and scored his first a couple minutes after entering.

Four goals is FC Tucson鈥檚 record, also held by Ethan Stevenson, set in its 5-1 win over Olympians FC on May 20, 2023.

Coachella (0-5-1) has a goal differential of minus-49, while FC Tucson鈥檚 (3-0) is plus-23. Defending Southwest Division champion Ventura County Fusion beat Coachella 12-1.

Goal difference is one of the tiebreakers in USL League Two.

鈥淵ou have that in the back of your head because you know what other teams are doing, but we knew what to expect once we saw the lineups coming out,鈥� Pineda said when asked about how many goals division rivals scored against Coachella. 鈥淪o we knew we just had to do our job, said it before the game 鈥榳e have to come and we have to take care of the three points,鈥� that鈥檚 the first thing and then if a lot of goals happen, then great for us because the goal difference is going to matter.鈥�

In 2023, despite beating Arizona Arsenal SC 5-1 and finishing the season on a five-match win streak, FC 大象APPmissed the playoffs due to goal difference.

FC 大象APPdefender D鈥橝ndre Pickett said it鈥檚 amazing to score so many goals after that heartbreak.

鈥淚 remember the locker room after we, I think we beat Arsenal, but we still didn鈥檛 make it off goal differential,鈥� said Pickett, who scored on Friday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a good feeling because you obviously want to play in the big games, you come to Kino, you come to play at FC 大象APPto play in the big games, playing in the playoffs.

鈥淪o obviously, that that was a sucky feeling going out of the season, but knowing that next season Seba was going to get ready, get another roster ready to compete, it鈥檚 a great feeling to come back and be a part of this.鈥�