University of La Verne

LA VERNE, CA – The University of La Verne men's soccer team controlled the match for 85 minutes, but UC Santa Cruz scored twice in the waning minutes to escape Ortmayer Stadium with a 2-2 draw in a rainy contest Wednesday night.

The matchup was a pivotal non-conference game for the Leopards, who are looking to improve their NPI ranking. 

The starting whistle blew under intense rainfall that faded in and out throughout the contest. The conditions on the field invited mistakes and extra chances for both teams to capitalize.

In the first half, the Leopards looked fantastic, scoring two goals unanswered. The first of which came off the left foot of Kevin Arreola. After slicing through several defenders with immaculate footwork, Arreola buried it in the right post to put the Leopards up 1-0. Arreola earned his second goal of the season.

In the 35th minute, the Leopards bombarded the penalty box with a series of shots. After a couple of near misses and saves, Gerardo Raya broke through and scored the second goal for the Leopards. 

As the rain continued to pour well into the second half, neither team mustered any more scoring until a chaotic final five minutes. In the span of 41 seconds, the Slugs connected on back-to-back goals. Despite a textbook Josh Simonton performance in goal, which had stifled any Slug opportunities, the constant pressure and defensive breakdowns allowed the Slugs to tie the game up late in the contest. A tough finish for the Leopards, who were in the driver's seat for a majority of the game.

The Leopards now sit at 7-4-5 on the season with a conference record of 5-2-2, tied for second place with CMS. With only three games left in the regular season, every result will significantly affect the final standings.

The Leopards return to SCIAC play on Saturday, heading to Chapman at 11 a.m.