Cal Lutheran Earns Regular Season SCIAC Title
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Cal Lutheran women's soccer secured its second straight SCIAC regular season title following a 1-0 home victory over La Verne on Wednesday night. Lindsay Armenta scored the game-winner late in the first half and CLU retains its conference crown.
Box Score: CLU 1, ULV 0 - F
The CLU offense had several premium scoring opportunities in the first half but was unable to cash in early on. La Verne goalkeeper Delanie Pacheco made four saves in the opening period with her last tipping a Mayra Virgen shot into the crossbar and away from danger.
The Leopards managed only two first half attempts with both taken by Marisella Macias. Her long distance knuckler in the 39th minute tested Regals goalkeeper Renee Standage. CLU shortly replied with a similar attempt that wound up being the game-winner.
Armenta took the final of Cal Lutheran's 14 first half shots from approximately 25 yards out centered on the Leopards goal. Her right footed strike curled left and into the side netting of the Leopards goal in the 40th minute.
Cal Lutheran needed to hold La Verne scoreless for 50 more minutes to secure its second straight conference title. Unfortunately the Regals offense was held scoreless during that stretch creating some dramatics and tension down the stretch.
Of the Regals eight corner kicks in full time they managed to take five shots including four headers off the service. All five missed the target leaving Cal Lutheran with a slim one-goal advantage.
Pacheco was another key reason for the Leopards staying within comeback range of the Regals. She finished with a game-high six saves for the Leos.
Standage made one save in each of the halves on long range balls from Macias and Linda Kommel to earn the victory. She improved her goalkeeping record to 10-0-0, goals against average to 0.13, and picked up her fourth solo shutout this season.
No. 11 Cal Lutheran (16-1-0, 9-0-0 SCIAC) is up by 3.5 games in the conference standings over current runner-up Claremont-Mudd-Scripps with three regular season games remaining. Tonight's victory guarantees both the regular season SCIAC title and the top seed for the SCIAC Post-Season Tournament starting on Nov. 3.
Cal Lutheran will put its streaks of 13 straight wins and seven shutouts on the line this Saturday, Oct. 22, when traveling to face Whittier.
