SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis senior Ari Spence has committed to play at CSU San Marcos next fall and will play for the Cougars and study Business Marketing at the school.
"I chose CSU San Marcos because I have always loved San Diego and the beach," said Spence. "After going to several Surf Cup tournaments in Oceanside and Carlsbad, Calif., I fell in love and became familiar with the area so when I visited the CSUSM campus I already felt comfortable. I toured the school and loved the classrooms and the people were so welcoming, I knew it was the place for me."
Spence, who also played for Davis Legacy, was a two-year letter winner for the Troubadours. She tallied two goals this season, scoring two goals in Delta League play against Elk Grove and Franklin, finishing her career with seven total over her career from her defender position.
"CSU San Marcos will enjoy Ari Spence," said Head Coach Maryclaire Robinson '86. "She brings a physical presence on the field, an excellent work ethic, and a team first mentality. She is a versatile defender and can play anywhere in the backline. She serves and shoots from distance - which makes her a dangerous defender coming out of the back."
Spence was named the team's recipient of the Delta League Sportsmanship Award after her junior season when the program took the CIF NorCal Division II title. She also helped the team to the 2020 Sac-Joaquin Section Division II title and the CIF Northern California Division I Regional semifinals.
"Her serves found the back post which created goal scoring opportunities for this season and were effective particularly in the playoffs," said Robinson. "This season she was voted captain which speaks to her leadership qualities. She has a nice way of connecting with her teammates and finds ways to elevate the activity or game. She has great character and will move her team forward."
Spence will play at CSUSM for Bobby Renneisen, who has led the program since 2014. The Cougars play in the California Collegiate Athletic Conference in NCAA Division II. She will play conference games against current teammates and Chico State signees Lindsey Piatanesi and Emily Billena.
"The CSUSM women's soccer program stood out to me because I ultimately loved the school and the highly competitive soccer program was the cherry on top for me," said Spence. "I was in touch with the coach for a few months and he had so many great things to say about the program. The have one of the highest cumulative team GPAs in the NCAA D2 with a 3.5, practices are in the early morning to start off our days, and the team is very close and family oriented so they take teamwork seriously which is important to me."
Spence said the "the highlight of playing SFHS soccer was competing and playing with very talented girls who I get to call my teammates, classmates, and friends. I loved getting to become close with all my teammates, and whether it was on the field or the bench we all were supportive of each other and we really came together as a team especially this year."
She is the fifth player from the program this season to commit to playing collegiate soccer and is excited to continue her career in college.
"I'm very excited about playing at the next level and being in a highly competitive environment to continue my soccer career," said Spence. "I'm mostly excited to just continue my love for the game and have fun next year with my teammates."
