Upgraded facilities, elite academics and an instant sense of sisterhood define Cal Poly Women’s Soccer as the program navigates its current campaign. But beneath the fresh momentum lies a familiar core: head coach Bernardo Silva’s philosophy of doing more with less, now reinforced by a pair of summer transfers who brought their battle-tested valley grit to San Luis Obispo.
That transition is embodied by junior forward Isis Salazar-Ortega and junior midfielder Miah Thomas. Both former CSU Bakersfield standouts reunited with Silva at Cal Poly during the off-season, bringing established chemistry and a shared work ethic that is already elevating the Mustangs’ locker room and performance on the pitch.
For Silva, recruiting players from his former program centers on shared history and an established standard of resilience.
That standard was forged in his two seasons at Bakersfield. Silva took a program that had only won seven games over the previous two seasons combined and led it all the way to the Big West Championship game. Silva also had two players earn Big West Honorable Mentions and five players earn a spot on the Academic All-District team.
“We won a lot there with very little,” Silva said. “That’s a really important part of my philosophy: do more with less. When you come from the valley, you have the grit that is required to be successful in life. You don’t take anything for granted, and you value everything.”
Silva noted that this background provides vital perspective for a program operating in San Luis Obispo, where student-athletes enjoy top-tier academic prestige, modern facilities and a coastal campus setting.
“They are amazing additions because they’re great people and great players, but they also bring perspective into our locker room,” Silva said.
That perspective is backed up on the field. Salazar-Ortega arrived at Cal Poly as a 2025 All-Big West Honorable Mention forward, compiling seven goals and two assists across 42 appearances at CSUB. Her clutch postseason play helped fuel the Roadrunners’ historic 2024 run to their first Big West Championship match, scoring a game-winner against UC Irvine in the opening round and an equalizer in the conference final.
Beside Salazar-Ortega in the lineup, Thomas brings defensive work ethic and midfield stability. A 2024 Big West All-Freshman selection who played every minute in 10 career matches for CSUB, Thomas notched three goals and an assist as a Roadrunner while routinely anchoring the team’s engine room.
That transition has resonated with the incoming players. For Salazar-Ortega and Thomas, joining Cal Poly offered a seamless blend of academic excellence, upgraded resources and continuity with Silva’s coaching staff.
“I transferred here for one, the academics. You can’t beat an institution like Cal Poly,” Salazar-Ortega said. “Bernardo’s philosophy, the way he coaches, and the way he thinks was a part of it too.”
Thomas agreed, noting that the move has fully matched her expectations on and off the field.
“I love it here, soccer-wise and academically. My classes are awesome, and I love my professors. Soccer is the cherry on top; all around, it’s awesome,” Thomas said.
But beyond academic prestige and top-tier facilities, the true key to their adaptation has been cultural. While both players brought a battle-tested “underdog” mentality from their time in Bakersfield, they emphasized that the environment at Cal Poly centers on unity and collective purpose.
“At Bakersfield, we used being the underdog to fuel us,” Salazar-Ortega said. “Over here at Cal Poly, Bernardo makes the culture very sister-like, so we have a very strong sisterhood. We play for each other, and every game we play for something bigger than ourselves.”
Thomas echoed that sentiment, noting how that connection carries over during competition as Cal Poly pushes through its current Big West campaign.
With Salazar-Ortega delivering an offensive spark up front and Thomas anchoring the midfield, the former Roadrunners have seamlessly stepped into core roles for Cal Poly’s current campaign. As the Mustangs aim to pursue another postseason run, the pair is focused on a shared mission: bringing another title back to San Luis Obispo.