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Ryan Hall had been tabbed to be FCTW’s new head coach after last year’s coach, Roberto Garcia, moved. But Hall stepped down right before the season in a “mutual� decision.

Hall remains as FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Youth’s Girls Academy Director.

To replace him, FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ promoted Caylee Carter, the top assistant last year and in the preseason.

“Ryan had a tremendous amount of work that involved the (Girls Academy) side of the FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Youth and based on that commitment it seemed like most logical that Caylee would be able to take the helm,â€� said FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ owner and president Jon Pearlman. “Obviously, she has a lot of experience with the team as a player and as a successful assistant and we felt like it was a good opportunity for the team.â€�

Carter played under Todd and Amy Garelick, who launched ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Soccer Academy FC, which would become FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women, and then she played under FCTW’s last female head coach, Kelly Pierce. She played for FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ in 2016, 2017 and 2023.

Although it’s FCTW’s fourth head coach since Pierce’s last season in 2023, Pearlman felt Carter’s familiarity with the club helped the quick regime change.

“I think it definitely eases the transition when you have a certain level of familiarity with the returning players and just players that have been around the program,� Carter said. “So that definitely helps, just being a familiar face for the players and then also for me, just knowing kind of what we’re working with as far as building a roster as we go into the summer.�

Pearlman said Carter was “very much involved with Ryan in the construction of the team.�

FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ (1-0) opens its home schedule on Sunday night when it hosts the El Paso Surf (1-1).

Carter is a board-certified behavior analyst and has a Bachelor of Science in public health from the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.

With her appointment, now both of FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s top teams have former FCT players in charge. Former FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ men’s player Sebastian Pineda leads the Men in Black.

“We love the fact that she’s a player because she can relate to all the experiences; the team means a ton to her,� Pearlman said. “Obviously, it’s great, we’re excited that we have her.

“Plus, you know, she has an entirely all female staff, which is exciting but we’re incredibly grateful for Ryan for all that he did in the prelude to this and Caylee’s ... plenty talented enough to take the helm here.�

Carter coaches the 2009 Girls Academy team and is adding the 2010 Girls Academy team to her slate.

“I think it’s really unique and it’s really cool that we kind of came through as players and then now moving full circle into the coaching side of things,� Carter said about her and Pineda. “We also are both coaches in the youth club, as well.�

FCTW opened the season Wednesday with a 2-0 win at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Arsenal SC in Mesa. Forward Meredith Scott scored both goals.

“It was good, it was really all about just getting to know one another and getting in connection with one another,� Carter said. “So it was really good in that respect and a win is always nice on the road, of course.�

Scott led an all-Walden Grove frontline in the starting lineup, as WG alumni Scott and her New Mexico State teammate Milana Eyrich and Vivien Villarreal, who just finished her junior year at the Sahuarita school, started together.

Villarreal won Desert Conference Offensive Player of the Year for last season.

Last season, the Women in Black went 5-2-3, finishing second in the Desert Conference. FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Women has finished third or better in every season since 2016, taking first in 2018, 2019 and 2021 (the 2020 season was canceled).

FCTW’s roster features a mix of college players from ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, VMI, Embry-Riddle and FIU and current high schoolers from Catalina Foothills, Canyon del Oro, Salpointe Catholic, Mica Mountain, Pusch Ridge Christian and Cienega.

“Some big returners, so we have that kind of core group that’s returning, adding in some new talent, some young talent, so it’s an exciting kind of mix together,� Carter said.

Men in Black rout Coachella SC

The FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ men crushed Coachella SC 19-0 on Friday.

FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s previous margin of victory record was 10-0 over Sporting ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on May 18, 2024. Its previous biggest league win was 9-1 over OC Blues Strikers FC on June 6, 2013.

Forward Hector Moreno and midfielder Jesse Wangusi led the way with four goals apiece as three FCT players had hat tricks. Forward Alexis Ledoux also had a hat trick and Moreno came on as second-half substitute and scored his first a couple minutes after entering.

Four goals is FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s record, also held by Ethan Stevenson, set in its 5-1 win over Olympians FC on May 20, 2023.

Coachella (0-5-1) has a goal differential of minus-49, while FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s (3-0) is plus-23. Defending Southwest Division champion Ventura County Fusion beat Coachella 12-1.

Goal difference is one of the tiebreakers in USL League Two.

“You have that in the back of your head because you know what other teams are doing, but we knew what to expect once we saw the lineups coming out,� Pineda said when asked about how many goals division rivals scored against Coachella. “So we knew we just had to do our job, said it before the game ‘we have to come and we have to take care of the three points,’ that’s the first thing and then if a lot of goals happen, then great for us because the goal difference is going to matter.�

In 2023, despite beating ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Arsenal SC 5-1 and finishing the season on a five-match win streak, FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ missed the playoffs due to goal difference.

FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ defender D’Andre Pickett said it’s amazing to score so many goals after that heartbreak.

“I remember the locker room after we, I think we beat Arsenal, but we still didn’t make it off goal differential,â€� said Pickett, who scored on Friday. “It’s not a good feeling because you obviously want to play in the big games, you come to Kino, you come to play at FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ to play in the big games, playing in the playoffs.

“So obviously, that that was a sucky feeling going out of the season, but knowing that next season Seba was going to get ready, get another roster ready to compete, it’s a great feeling to come back and be a part of this.�