PREVIEW: NATIONAL MOTW WEEK TWO

NSN NATIONAL MATCHUP OF THE WEEK: IRON ROSE FC vs. CALIFORNIA STORM

(22) Iron Rose FC vs. (1) California Surf

West Region: NorCal Conference

Saturday, May 18

7 p.m. (PDT)

West Park High School Stadium – Roseville, Calif. 

Watch Live on the National Soccer Network

The atmosphere in Roseville, Cali. will be nothing short of electric Saturday night when the reigning WPSL champs and No. 1 ranked California Storm face No. 22 Iron Rose FC in the NSN National Matchup of the Week. 

“We know how good Storm is. They are going to give us problems no matter what. We’re expecting a huge crowd. Hopefully we can use the crowd to our advantage,” said newly appointed Iron Rose FC head coach, Andrew Shutter. 

Iron Rose led the West Region in attendance in 2024, making West Park High School Stadium one of the most intimidating places to play in the entire league. Upwards of 3,000 are expected to be there for Saturday's season opener. 

Both clubs are featuring new head coaches for the 2025 season. Shutter, an assistant coach in Iron Rose FC debut season last year, takes over for a squad that went 4-5-0, finishing fourth, four points out of first place. 

Longtime Storm head coach, Jamie Levoy, has taken a step back to oversee the Storm empire as executive director, handing the team over to Brazilian legend and former Storm player, Sissi, and David Robertson, who share the head-coaching duties. 

Saturday’s matchup is the first match of the 2025 season for both sides of this burgeoning rivalry. 

Levoy said last year’s result did not come as a total surprise, given members of both teams are well familiar with each other.
 

“It will be a fun game because most of the players grew up playing club soccer together so there will be a lot of friendships between the two groups,” Levoy said. 
 

Last season the two clubs played to a dramatic 3-3 Week Seven draw that saw the lead change hands three times in the first meeting between the two clubs. The draw was the first and only time the Storm gave away points at home all season. 
 

“For us, coming into the league, picking up a point against the Storm on their home field was huge for us,” Shutter said. “Coming into the league, we had no idea what we could accomplish. We learned a lot from last year. Now we just have to take that next step.” 
 

Shutter said Iron Rose entered last year’s matchup at Storm playing on the front foot simply because they did not know what to expect from the then four-time WPSL champions.
 

“There is some benefit to not really knowing what we are going against,” he said. “Even from a team as successful as the Storm.”
 

Leslie Fregoso drew first blood putting the visitors in the lead in the 10th minute in front of a shocked crowd at the Davis Legacy Soccer Complex. 
 

Paloma Daubert pulled the Storm level with the first of her two goals six minutes later, followed by a goal by the Storm’s Erica Grilione in the 28th minute. Grilione would go on to earn a place on the West Region Playoff team. 
 

Less than a minute after the restart Iron Rose pulled level thanks to a Kassandra Ceja goal. Two-time All-Conference player, Samantha Tristan put Iron Rose in the lead for a second time in the game, and the second time in the first half with her 34th minute goal. 
 

Daubert saved the Storm from disaster after nearly 30 minutes of nail-biting soccer, drawing the game level at three in the 62nd minute. The salvaged point—and three goals—proved vital at the end of the season where The Storm and FC Davis finished level with 21 points over nine games. It was a plus-19 goal differential that put the Storm into the West Region Playoffs, and onto its fifth WPSL championship.
 

Iron Rose opens the season with three consecutive home games. Expect league attendance records to be set and broken over the next few weeks. The club closes out its home schedule in Week Eight versus Napa Valley 1839 F.C. on June 28.