LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Loyola Marymount wrapped up Golden Coast Conference (GCC) play unbeaten for the second consecutive season, extending their conference win streak to 16 games dating back to 2023. The Lions clinched their second straight regular season title, led by standout Ruth Arino Ruiz, who becomes just the second player in GCC history to earn back-to-back Player of the Year honors.
 
Arino Ruiz, a fifth-year senior, was named the 2025 GCC Player of the Year as voted on by the league's eight head coaches in the annual postseason awards, announced today (Tuesday, Apr. 22). She led the league in goals (102), assists (64), and total points (166). She joins Pacific’s Kyra Christmas (2018, 2019) as the only other athlete to be named the league's top player in consecutive seasons. San Diego State’s Caroline Israels is also a two-time winner, having earned the award in 2015 and 2017.
 
Azusa Pacific’s Jessie Nelson was named the 2025 Newcomer of the Year. In her first season at APU after transferring from Riverside City College, Nelson made an immediate impact, ranking tied for third in the GCC with 66 goals.
 
Arino Ruiz, who surpassed her numbers from last year’s award-winning season, was also selected to the All-GCC First Team for the third consecutive year. She was joined by fellow repeat honorees Dora Alaksza (Pacific) and Hailey Andress (Fresno State), along with Brooke Ochoa (Fresno State), who earned her second career first-team selection. Rounding out the First Team were LMU teammates Alyssa Barnuevo, Yannah Gerber, and Mimi Stoupas of San Diego State.
 
In total, 29 student-athletes earned postseason recognition across the First-Team, Second-Team, Honorable Mention, and All-Freshman Team.
 
2025 GCC POSTSEASON HONORS
 
Player of the Year
Ruth Arino Ruiz, LMU (ATT, SR)
 
Newcomer of the Year
Jessie Nelson, APU (CTR, JR)
 
First-Team All-GCC
Dora Alaksza, PAC (ATT, JR)
Hailey Andress, FS (ATT, JR)
Ruth Arino Ruiz, LMU (ATT, SR)
Alyssa Barnuevo, LMU (GK, GR)
Yanah Gerber, LMU (CTR, SR)
Brooke Ochoa, FS (UTL, SR)
Mimi Stoupas, SDSU (CTR, SO)
 
Second-Team All-GCC
Celeste Almendariz, CBU (UTL, SR)
Hila Futorian, PAC (DEF, SR)
Laia Marsiñach Ortega, APU (ATT, SO) 
Abbey Simshauser, FS (ATT, SR)
Anna Tarantino, LMU (UTL, SR)
Ida Tully-Giles, FS (GK, SO)
Claudia Valdes, SDSU (ATT, JR)
 
Honorable Mention All-GCC
Sydney Gish, SDSU (ATT, JR)
Daniela Herrero Miralles, APU (GK, JR)
Kyra Kahahawai, CBU (UTL, SR) 
Maja Lizy Dulic, PAC (GK, SO)
Addison McGowan, PAC (ATT, SR)
Jessie Nelson, APU (CTR, JR)
Kate Rodman, SCU (DR, SR)
Ashley Williams, FS (CTR, JR)
 
GCC All-Freshmen Team
Cianne Benjamin, LMU (CTR, FR)
Delanney Ewing, SDSU (UTL, FR)
Sierrah Ferguson, CUI (CTR, FR)
Chloe Rizof, SCU (DR, FR)
Julianne Stark, SDSU (ATT, FR)
Anna Tyukasz, CUI (ATT, FR)
Marit van der Kolk, FS (DEF, FR)