CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's soccer team plays its first game at Nakasone Field, its new home facility, on Tuesday evening when it faces the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs at 6 p.m.

With the opening of the Sports Bowl at the Roberts Campus, which will be the new home for football, lacrosse, track and field, baseball and softball, the women's and men's soccer programs relocated to the former football stadium. The track was removed and the facility was converted into a soccer field 120 yards long and 80 yards wide, the maximum allowable by the NCAA. With these field dimensions, CMS is now eligible to host NCAA tournaments.

Nakasone Field is covered with Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass. Tahoma 31 has achieved mass adoption for competitive soccer due to its high density, rapid healing from cleat damage, and tight footing. It also uses 20-60 percent less water than traditional grasses.

The Athenas enter the new season after being picked to finish third in the SCIAC in a preseason poll of the league's coaches. CMS has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons, finishing with identical 13-4-3 records in both campaigns, while winning the 2024 SCIAC Postseason Championship with road wins over Cal Lutheran and Pomona-Pitzer. 

UC Santa Cruz also visited CMS last season and the Athenas were able to come away with a 2-0 home victory. Jordan Yates had both CMS goals in the win, with Cate Lewison picking up both assists. 

Athenas soccer has two more home games at Nakasone Field as part of opening week, batting Redlands on Sunday at 11 a.m. in a non-SCIAC game before facing Lewis & Clark on Monday at 11 a.m. The Stags soccer team will have its Nakasone debut on Friday night at 7 p.m. against Trinity (Texas), while football will have its first game at Rogan Stadium in the Sports Bowl on Saturday at 11 a.m.