The college soccer season is underway, and Phoenix Rising FC Youth Soccer alumni are already making their mark across the country. From freshmen scoring their first collegiate goals to former Rising teammates meeting again on opposite sides of the field, the connections built in Arizona continue well beyond the youth game.
Two members of the newest class of Rising alumni have already celebrated major milestones in their freshman seasons. Delaney Hawkins, now at Washington State University, and Katie Pettigrew, at Eastern Washington University, have each scored their first collegiate goals this season. Both were part of Phoenix Rising’s Class of 2026 before beginning their college careers in Washington.
Those connections have also been showing up on fields across the country.
In Utah, former Rising coach Jackie Poortinga reunited with alumni Ivy Nystrom and Hailey Cobb when Utah State University and the University of Utah met. On the other side of the country, ECNL and ECNL Regional League alumni went head-to-head in New York, with Francesca Diaz lining up against sisters Alyssa and Aryanna Peregrino.
Closer to home, several familiar faces reunited when the University of Arizona hosted Dartmouth. Rising alumni Whitney Reinhardt and Amanda Maynard represented Arizona, while Michal Cagungun and Ava returned to Arizona on the opposite side of the field.
The reunions have continued throughout the season. Cara Davidson and Emily Brashear found themselves on opposing sides, while Peyton Greener crossed paths on separate occasions with Jayden Murgia and Bailee Ramirez.
At the Division III level, a matchup between North Central College and the Milwaukee School of Engineering brought together four more Rising alumni: Carly Campbell, Jada Rodriguez, Ariana Marshall and Devon Reavey. Campbell, Rodriguez and Marshall are among the Rising alumni who have continued their careers at North Central, while Reavey took the field for MSOE. Phoenix Rising’s records also show Campbell, Rodriguez, Marshall and Reavey among the club’s college alumni.
From first collegiate goals to reunions thousands of miles from Arizona, these moments are a reminder that the relationships formed at Phoenix Rising extend far beyond a player’s final youth season. Former teammates may now wear different colors and represent different universities, but they continue to carry their Rising experience with them throughout the college game.
Another special reunion came when longtime Phoenix Rising teammates Braxton Montgomery and Tristan Shaw found themselves on opposite sides of the field. After years together in the Rising pathway, training and playing with our Professional Club, the two met again as opponents at the collegiate level, with Montgomery representing Rutgers University and Shaw beginning his career at UCLA.
Montgomery continues to make an impact at Rutgers after earning All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors in his first collegiate season. The Scottsdale native has carried that success into his sophomore campaign, recently producing a goal and an assist across wins over No. 11 Princeton and No. 3 Ohio State. His performance earned him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors, adding another milestone to a journey that began in the Phoenix Rising Academy.
The matchup with Shaw was another example of a theme that has played out across the country this season: former Rising teammates and coaches reconnecting on college soccer fields, sometimes as teammates, and often now as opponents.
As the season continues, we’ll be following our alumni across the country and celebrating their accomplishments both on and off the field.
