CLAREMONT, CA - On a cool Saturday evening under the lights at Pritzlaff Field, the University of La Verne men's soccer team turned in a gritty performance, defeating Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 2-1 and spoiling the Stags' Senior Night in front of their home crowd. 

For much of the first half, both sides wrestled for control, trading fouls and set pieces but unable to find the back of the net. La Verne's backline, anchored by brothers Hernan and Uli Sevilla, held firm as goalkeeper Hector Duenas-Pena collected three crucial saves to keep the match scoreless heading into the break.

The Leopards finally broke through in the 71st minute. Juan Manzano slipped a perfectly weighted through ball into the left side of the box, where Kevin Arreola fired a one-time finish past the keeper to give La Verne the 1-0 edge. Less than ten minutes later, the Leopards doubled their advantage. Off a bending corner from Aidan Olufson, Israel Jimenez Ramirez rose inside the six-yard box and buried a header, sending the visiting bench into celebration.

CMS pulled one back in the 85th minute when Bo Gardner headed home a free kick to make it 2-1, setting up a tense finish. But the Leopards stayed composed, closing out the final minutes with strong defending and smart possession to secure the road victory.

The win not only handed La Verne (4-4-3, 2-3-1 SCIAC) three valuable conference points, but it also came with extra satisfaction: toppling the Stags on their own Senior Night stage.

Up Next

The Leopards return home for a non-conference matchup on Thursday, October 9 at 7 p.m. against UC Santa Cruz.