Oakland Soul entered their third USL W League season with fresh new kits, a few fresh faces, but the same resiliency and pure embodiment of the club’s mission statement “to harness the magic of Oakland and the power of sports as a force for social good.”
Soul weathered early season setbacks and reeled off an outstanding summer surge, ending the year with six consecutive victories to finish second place in the nine-team NorCal Division — the USL W League’s largest, and perhaps most competitive division.
While changes to the league’s playoff structure meant that the division would only send a single team to the postseason, Soul’s year was a triumph regardless. The club’s 26 points from an overall 8-2-2 record would have clinched a division title and a playoff berth in more than half of the league’s 14 other divisions. Oakland’s only two losses came at the hands of undefeated side and eventual division winners Stockton Cargo SC.
Regardless of the final outcome, Soul’s season was still historic.
Since the founding of the club before the 2023 season, Oakland Soul has made Merritt College their home. Capacity crowds have continued to fill the stands since the club’s first ever home game — and in return Soul have treated the crowds with near perfection. In 2025 Soul extended an unbelievable streak, going undefeated at Merritt College for the third straight year and having still never lost at the venue.
Not only did Soul make history at their own home, but at the home of Oakland sports as well. In their double header game with Oakland Roots on June 7th, Soul became the first women’s soccer team ever to play at the iconic Oakland Coliseum — and they did so in front of a club record 7,586 fans in attendance.
The fans watched familiar favorites shine and new Soul stars bloom in 2025.
Finishing 12 of Oakland’s club record 41 goals in 2025, Shae Murison cemented herself both in the hearts of the Oakland community and at the top of the team’s all-time scoring leaderboard following back-to-back prolific scoring campaigns.
But fans were also introduced to new names that captured their affection in players like Allie Montoya — who scored a brace in a lopsided 7-2 victory in Soul’s home finale — Sydney Middaugh, and Joelle Jung, all newcomers who found the score sheet over and over again.
It was once again a terrific season from Soul defenders as well. Conceding just 13 goals all season long thanks to stellar play from the entire back line as well as between the posts play from Kate Plachy and Dina Frenkel who combined for six clean sheets.
It’s safe to say that just three years in, Oakland Soul have rooted themselves as one of the most exciting and promising squads in the entire USL W League. 2025 provided more of the same joy, community, and spirit that Oakland has to offer, and showed why moving forward Soul will continue to be the heartbeat of The Town.