Sierra Cardenas begins her fifth season at the helm of the Pack women's soccer program. She holds a 31-26-9 overall record and an 21-16-6 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play.
During a COVID-19 shortened Spring 2021 season, Cardenas guided CSU Pueblo to its first RMAC Championship in program history. The ThunderWolves went unbeaten over their final five matches, including back-to-back PK wins in the RMAC Semifinal and Final.
In her time at CSU Pueblo, Cardenas has guided her teams to an RMAC Tournament berth in each of her first four seasons. In her first year at the helm, Cardenas and the Pack picked up wins in the first and second round of the RMAC Tournament en route to the final.
Cardenas has coached one RMAC Player of the Year, one RMAC Co-Academic Player of the Year, 20 All-RMAC picks and thirty-five student-athletes have earned RMAC All-Academic accolades.
In the Spring 2021, Cardenas coached a Academic All-American in Litzy Serna.
Playing at the friendly confines of Art & Lorraine Gonzales Stadium, Cardenas and Co. has posted a 14-11-4 record at home since 2017.
For the 2019-20 school year, Cardenas led her squad to a team Grade-Point Average of 3.692, highest among all CSU Pueblo teams.Â
She earned her first win as Pack Head Coach on Sept. 2, 2017, a 2-0 win over Lubbock Christian. Her first RMAC win came on Sept. 15, 2017, a 1-0 win at home against Fort Lewis.
Prior to CSU Pueblo, Cardenas was the head coach at Otero Junior College in La Junta, Colo. for two seasons where she guided the Rattlers to the NJCAA Region IX Tournament Final both seasons. In her two years, she mentored 14 all-region student-athletes including nine first-team honorees.
Cardenas becomes the fifth coach in ThunderWolves women's soccer program history.
A native of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Cardenas spent two years as the assistant coach at OJC before being named head coach in February 2015.
In her first season at OJC, Cardenas received NJCAA Region IX Coach of the Year and had over 30 players continue their soccer careers beyond OJC.
Cardenas left Otero JC with an overall head record of 27-6-4.
Prior to her time at OJC, Cardenas worked as an assistant coach at her alma mater Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) and has coached at both the club and high school levels in the Denver area.
As an athlete she played four seasons at ENMU and was a two-time team captain. She holds the school record for most goalkeeper wins in a season, most career shutouts, most career minutes played, most career games started and recorded the most shutouts in a single season (6) twice. She was a constant on the athletic honor roll as a student-athlete.
She received her bachelor of science degree in environmental science from ENMU in 2012 and is currently working on her Master's Degree in Applied Sport Psychology.
