LA VERNE, CA — The University of La Verne women's soccer team celebrated Senior Day, delivered a strong performance, and ended the 2026 season with a 3-0 victory over Caltech on Saturday.
Season Wrap Up
The Leopards SCIAC Postseason hopes came down to the final day of the regular season. Along with a win, La Verne needed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps to tie or defeat Occidental College to claim the final spot in the SCIAC Tournament. Occidental defeated CMS with a goal in the final two minutes.
The Leopards close out their season with a 6-9-2 overall record and a 5-6-1 conference record. La Verne's five conference wins are its most since 2017.
How It Happened
The Leopards controlled the game offensively, scoring twice in the first half before adding a late goal in the second half to secure the shutout. La Verne's offensive attack and defensive pressure helped the Leopards maintain control throughout the match.
Patricia Acoba opened the scoring for La Verne in the 19th minute of the first half.
Natalie Kooba assisted Acoba on the goal, giving the Leopards a 1-0 advantage.
Three minutes later,
Alexandra Allen found the back of the net, extending La Verne's lead to 2-0. Allen's goal gave the Leopards momentum heading into halftime.
La Verne continued to put pressure on Caltech throughout the match, recording eight shots on goal compared to the Beavers' three. The Leopards also earned three corner kicks in the first half while limiting Caltech to none.
With under a minute remaining in the game,
Lex Sahagian added the final goal of the game, securing the 3-0 victory for La Verne.
The Leopards finished with 16 shots on goal compared to Caltech's six. La Verne also recorded six corner kicks, while the Beavers finished with none. The Leopards' defense helped preserve the shutout, limiting Caltech's scoring opportunities throughout both halves.
Senior Day
The victory also marked a special occasion as six Leopards celebrated Senior Day. La Verne recognized
Maren Handel,
Alexandra Allen,
Kailey Kolesar,
Kristen Smick,
Ryenn Zerbel, and
Megan Sewell for their contributions to the women's soccer program.
