SportsSoccer

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps gets revenge with overtime win

Senior midfielder Becca Fischer (7) and sophomore attacker Valerie Vera (11) fight for possession against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps freshman midfielder Ava Schmitt (27) and junior defender Olivia Tufflii (11) Oct. 16 at Ortmayer Stadium. The Leopards lost the game in overtime, 2-1.
Senior midfielder Becca Fischer (7) and sophomore attacker Valerie Vera (11) fight for possession against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps freshman midfielder Ava Schmitt (27) and junior defender Olivia Tufflii (11) Oct. 16 at Ortmayer Stadium. The Leopards lost the game in overtime, 2-1. / photo by Darcelle Jones-Wesley

Sarah Van Buskirk
Assistant Sports Editor

The women’s soccer team returned home to face the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athenas for the second time this season, and were defeated, 2-1, in overtime Saturday.

The Leopards last played CMS Sept. 18, ending that game with a 2-0 win, being one of the two wins they have this season.

“We have been through a lot this season with losing and we have had to have a strong mentality,” sophomore midfielder Reagan Appleby said. “Losing the game at the end was really hard on our girls.”

Throughout the game, good opportunities arose for ULV and CMS but they just could not be put away. Nine shots were fired at the goal for the Leopards and 16 for the Athenas, making it an offensively exciting game.

“This whole season we have been struggling with our attack and I would say that this game we really moved forward with it,” freshman goalkeeper McKenzie Maggiore said.

The Leopards’ defense was strong at clearing any ball that came into their territory. On the other hand, they struggled to connect and complete passes in offense which was caused by heavy pressure from the Athenas.

The first half consisted of equal possession from both teams on all areas of the pitch, however execution was absent for each offensive side.

“We knew what we had to do, it was just a matter of executing it,” sophomore midfielder Brianna Wong said.

The first goal for either team finally came in the 76th minute when CMS junior defender Sam Ree found a lost ball in the penalty box and volleyed it up and over the fingertips of Maggiore to make the score 1-0.

With less than 20 minutes remaining in the game the Leopards had little time to recover. In the 84th minute, a set piece for La Verne on the far side was crossed into the box, bouncing multiple times before freshman defender Shelbie Mueller found the back of the net, tying up the game and keeping the Leopards alive.

Both teams fought hard in the remaining six minutes of the game but no other points were scored, sending them into overtime.

Three minutes into overtime, the Athenas advanced up the pitch and CMS freshman midfielder Kaitlyn Helfrich took a shot from outside the box that floated over Maggiore to end the game, 2-1.

“(Losing) makes us stronger as a team,” Appleby said. “It helps us prepare for the last couple of games and for next season.”

After a bye week the Leopards traveled to Chapman on Saturday to face the Panthers and were shutout 3-0. The Leopards returned home Wednesday and beat Whittier, 1-0.

La Verne is currently 3-12 overall and 3-8 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The Leopards will close out the season on the road at Pomona-Pitzer at noon Saturday.

Sarah Van Buskirk can be reached at sarah.vanbuskirk@laverne.edu.

Other Stories

Sarah Van Buskirk is a senior journalism major with a concentration in print and online journalism. She is the Spring 2024 editorial director for the Campus Times and has recently served as editor-in-chief, sports editor and staff writer. She is also currently a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine, and a staff writer for La Verne Magazine.

Website |  Other Stories

Darcelle Jones-Wesley, a senior photography major, is photography editor of the Campus Times. Her work can also be found at photographybydarcelle.com.

Previous article
Life and death celebrated on Dia de los Muertos
Next article
Leopard Scoreboard

Latest Stories

Related articles

Soccer

Leopards come back to beat the Poets

The La Verne men's soccer team overcame a halftime deficit to beat the Whittier Poets, 3-1, Wednesday at Ortmayer Stadium.
Baseball

Baseball and softball end seasons at SCIAC tournament

The baseball and softball teams both saw their seasons end last weekend in their respective Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason tournaments.
Baseball

Leopards sweep Senior Day doubleheader, head to SCIAC tournament

The Leopards dominated during their Senior Day doubleheader against Redlands at Ben Hines Field on Saturday, bouncing back from a series-opening loss to the Bulldogs on May 1. Game one’s final score was 9-2, and game two's score was 6-2.
Softball

Softball falls short against the Athenas

Despite being swept by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday at Campus West, the softball team still secured the third seed in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason tournament for the first time since 2022.