Fullerton, Calif. -- Cal State Fullerton women's soccer head coach Demian Brown announced that five student-athletes have joined the program for the upcoming 2022 season. Three players are transfers with one of them being a graduate transfer. The other two are incoming freshmen that are walk-ons to the roster.
Jesslyn McCave
Defender | Tollhouse, Calif. | CSU Bakersfield
Jesslyn transfers from Big West foe Cal State Bakersfield where she played in 18 games in 2021 for the Roadrunners and totaled 992 minutes.
Her parents are John and Andrea McCave. She has two younger siblings, John and Bryce. She is majoring in kinesiology and plans to become a physical therapist.
A 2020 graduate of Clovis High School she helped lead the Cougars in a successful run to the Division II state championship in her senior season..She was named to the All-Conference team in her junior year...She also ran track and earned honor roll accolades throughout high school...earned Seal of Biliteracy. She lettered in both soccer and track and field for two years.
"I chose to attend Cal State Fullerton because of the coaching staff and the team atmosphere," said McCave.
"Jess is a solid 1v1 defender. Her timing and speed are excellent making her extremely difficult to beat out wide. She will add depth to our defensive core," said head coach Demian Brown.
Makenna McGill
Forward | Huntington Beach, Calif. | Washington State University
Makenna transfers from Washington State University where she played in 12 games in her career over there.
She graduated from Huntington Beach High School in 2020 where she played one year on the varsity team there. She played club soccer full time with Pateadores where she was named the 2019 Coastal Conference Offensive Player of the Year
She is the daughter of Katherine and Mark and has three siblings Jason, Shawn, and Sydney...She plans on majoring in biochemistry. Her father played college football at UCLA....
"I chose to attend Cal State Fullerton because it's a great school with an abundance of opportunities and a great place to grow not only as a soccer play but as a person due to the exceptional team environment here," said McGill
"Makenna is a hard-working and physically strong forward. Her attitude to go and score is exactly what we will need to be successful in our season," said head coach Demian Brown
Malina Yago
Midfielder/Forward | Culver City, Calif. | Brown University
Malina played four seasons at Brown University. She graduated from Brown University with 12 points (three goals, six assists) for her career. In her sophomore season in 2019, she helped lead Brown University to its first Ivy League Title and NCAA appearance since 1994. She served as the team Captain in 2021 and led Brown to its second consecutive Ivy League title.
She graduated from Marymount High School in 2018 where she lettered in soccer for four years and in track and field. She was named to the 1st Team All-CIF Southern Section Division 3 her senior year. She was named to the All-Sunshine league her junior and senior year. She was the captain of her high school team in her senior season. She also came in second place at the State Championships in the 800 meter race.
Malina is the daughter of Arthur Yago and Shannon O'Neill. She has one younger sibling, Kaelin. Her middle name is Kealohamailani, which means "love from Heaven" in Hawaiian. She is majoring in public health.
"I chose to attend Cal State Fullerton because of the friendly campus environment, the athletic facilities, and an opportunity to play close to home," said Yago.
"Malina will add maturity and depth to our program. Her ability to play multiple positions on the back line or in the midfield will give us stability in difficult matches," said head coach Demian Brown.
Hannah Griffin
Goalkeeper | Placentia, Calif. | El Dorado High School
She played two years of varsity soccer at El Dorado High School. She won the Hawk Award for her core values and work ethic. She was a scholar athlete, distinguished scholar, and member of the national honors society.
She was born in Whittier, Calif. to Travis and Kim and has a younger sibling, her brother Travis. She plans on pursuing a degree in psychology.
She chose Cal State Fullerton because she used to attend all of Cal State Fullerton's camps when she was growing up. "It has always been a dream of mine to attend Cal State Fullerton after working with the coaching staff for many years. I have found a community within CSF that I'm excited to take part in." said Griffin.
"Hannah is a great addition to goalkeeping core. She is a great shot stopper with an excellent work ethic. Hannah will push our Gks to be at their best," said head coach Demian Brown.
Mia Mirelez
Midfielder | Fresno, Calif. | Clovis North High School
Mia graduated from Clovis North High School in 2022 where she played varsity soccer for four seasons. She helped lead her team to her conference championship for three seasons and were CIF champions her junior year. She was a member of the honor roll and principal's honor roll.
Mia was born in Fresno, Calif. to Arthur and Helena Mirelez. She has three younger siblings Ava, Ella, and Sophia. She plans on majoring in psychology.
"I chose to attend Cal State Fullerton because of the incredible team environment and the coaches genuinely care for their student-athletes mentally and physically," said Mirelez.
"Mia is an athletic and aggressive goal scoring threat. She has the pace get behind defenders and the technique to finish around goal. With her speed and athleticism, Mia will be exciting to watch," said head coach Demian Brown.
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