The San Francisco Glens’ facility on Treasure Island is just 25 miles northwest of James Logan High School and only 15 miles west of Saint Mary’s Stadium, making the USL W League pitch familiar territory for Isabella Bañuelos.

Bañuelos was a standout at James Logan after blazing her trail playing competitive youth soccer in the Bay Area, both with and against many of the top players in the W League today.

Now a goalkeeper for Saint Mary’s College women’s soccer in Moraga, competing at the highest level of collegiate soccer in the West Coast Conference, this familiarity with the Bay Area soccer community has lent itself to success during her three seasons with the San Francisco Glens.

“Our first year, a lot of the players were the same players from my club team, Bay Area Surf, so we all moved together,” Bañuelos said. “Glens right away felt like home because we all grew up together, we played together, and especially with the coaching staff moving with us, it just felt like we have always been playing together.”

Bañuelos joined the Glens for their inaugural W League season in 2023 after her freshman year at Saint Mary’s. She started the team’s first-ever W League game, recording a clean sheet in the 8-0 home victory at Skyline College, San Francisco’s former home pitch, against Academica on May 7, 2023.

Bañuelos just completed her junior season at Saint Mary’s, making six starts with three shutouts over the past two campaigns for the Gaels. She recognizes a difference in herself as a player from when she started and is using this perspective to help her Glens teammates with less experience.

“My first year with the Glens, it was the summer ending my freshman year, so the maturity is a lot different now,” Bañuelos said. “The role that I have now, especially starting here, just being able to help them, especially since some of the younger players haven’t been in college, they don’t know much of the experience. It’s good to get them introduced to it so they know what to expect when they do have to play in college.”

Growing up in Union City, Bañuelos emerged as a stalwart goalkeeper at the city’s James Logan High School. Prior to graduating in 2022, Bañuelos captained the Colts her senior season, scoring more goals from her position than she conceded (two goals to one) to conclude four years of varsity soccer.

Playing close to home both during the season and collegiately, Bañuelos’ family is able to be with her wherever she is taking the pitch in the Bay.
 

“It’s really special, I personally love being around home and so being able to be a 45-minute drive away from my parents coming to the games or me going home is really great,” Bañuelos said. “Even with Saint Mary’s, it’s also pretty close, so the fact that I’m always local and nearby, I’m able to always be around home.”

The Glens’ W League goalie said she views her development as not coming in isolation but rather as the result of her support system uplifting her dreams from an early age.

Not only was their guidance instrumental in her emergence as a standout player – her parents have empowered her to make critical decisions about her soccer career.

“My parents have always been there, they made the sacrifices to always take me to practice and be able to push me to a level where I can make my choices but they want what’s best for me,” Bañuelos said. “Going into Saint Mary’s, they were always there telling me it’s my decision if I want to play there or play somewhere else. It’s really great to have (my parents) behind me backing me through every decision.”  

Speaking prior to San Francisco’s 8-0 June 14 home victory against Olympic Club, the day before Father’s Day, Bañuelos recognized the particular importance of her dad’s contributions and the significance of this early part of the summer for her family.

“My dad has always been there, it was difficult when we were younger because he was always working so he wasn’t really much at our games, he would try to make it when he could, but he was always working in order for me to keep playing and to provide for us,” Bañuelos said. “It is really special knowing that I get to celebrate him, his birthday’s also in June so he gets a double celebration. He’s super special ... I love him (and) can’t wait to see him.”

If her connection to her teammates and coaches was not already special enough, her relationship with fellow Glens’ goalkeeper Bianca Dominguez runs as deep as any at the club.

The two keepers do not simply share a position on the same W League team – Bañuelos said their experiences from their childhoods until now, both together and in parallel, were crucial to shaping each other as players.

“The connection with Bianca is really special, we have actually known each other for years now. We played together when we were around 10 years old,” Bañuelos said. “We were in the same club in Union City and we had the same goalie trainer so we have had a lot of time to develop. When I was at Bay Area Surf, she was at Lamorinda (Soccer Club) and convincing her to come to Bay Area Surf was something that I feel like had a big part in her journey.”

The collaboration between the now-college upperclassmen continues today. Dominguez enters her junior season at Duke this coming fall after appearing in four contests last season, including in an NCAA College Cup match against Howard University in November.
 
“We still have the same goalie coach so we are constantly seeing each other,” Bañuelos said.  “Seeing her journey at Duke is really special knowing that we have a similar story.”

Both San Francisco keepers play a position which is arguably the most important on the pitch. For however large of a factor a goalkeeper can be in a team’s success, the margin for error may be just as small.

Bañuelos said the thin line between success and failure and the all-or-nothing views towards a goalkeeper’s ability make playing the position challenging and unique.

“It can be difficult because a lot of the time a forward can miss 10 shots and still be the hero if they score one goal, whereas a goalkeeper you mess up once (and) they score it is like the end of the world,” Bañuelos said. “I think (it’s important) just having the mindset knowing that, and I would say personally, maybe I am biased, it is one of the most important positions. You are the backline, you are trying to save everything, not let goals against, keeping that shutout.”

Within that framework, Bañuelos also recognized the ability for goalkeepers to have an impact on team morale and on the game in ways which might go unnoticed, which in turn allows her to concentrate and compete.

“When I am in the field, knowing that making a big save it just boosts (your team), even little saves, connecting a pass or just holding something, is something so important, and I think people do not appreciate as much,” Bañuelos said. “But it is those little details that really determine everything. As a goalkeeper, you just got to stay focused and have that mindset.”

After recording three consecutive scoreless halves in goal, Bañuelos’ third season with the Glens has nearly reached its end – the campaign concludes June 29 at Treasure Island against Oakland Soul.

Bañuelos has developed as a leader with San Francisco, gaining the perspective her position and experience has afforded her.

For her Glens teammates, still blazing their own trails and growing as athletes and young women, Bañuelos shared her advice for those once starting out in her position, new to W League and beginning their collegiate careers.

“If you come in always playing, always starting, it is going to be hard transitioning to a high-level team where you do not know if you are going to be playing (and) you got to earn your position,” Bañuelos said. “Be patient, be focused, be driven. I think a lot of people tend to lose motivation for stuff when they do not see results, so stay driven and know your time is going to come. Keep working, look up to those who are trying to mentor you and help you and stay with your support system.”

Bañuelos’ approach has embodied perseverance and leaning on those closest to her. This has served her in club play, on campus and from Skyline College to San Francisco’s new home on Treasure Island, and benefitted fans of all of her teams along the way.