Ethan Anderson
Assistant Editor
The Leopards had themselves a remarkable senior night on Nov. 1, winning over the Bethesda Lion Angels, 9-1.
There were 75 spectators at Ortmayer Stadium in support of the team and its 10 seniors for their final game of the 2024 season. The seniors made all the difference in this matchup, scoring all nine goals.
Despite the final score, the Leopards came out rather flat in the first half.
“We gave up a goal early and we were kind of sluggish; we needed them (the seniors) to pick us up and get us back in rhythm,” head coach Trevor Persson said.
The Lion Angels took advantage and set up freshman forward Daniel Abel to score and take an early lead only three minutes in.
“Our effort was really low, our energy was low, but we are going to lean on our seniors. It’s their moment.” Persson said.
It was a frustrating half for the Leopards. They entered halftime planning up for a 1-0 deficit. Some halftime decisions were made to keep certain seniors in the game, which certainly paid off.
“We were not gonna start our No. 10 (senior forward Maximilian De Anda) in the second half because he just wasn’t doing it. I said to the other staff, Give him his moment and see what he does,’” Persson said.
Regardless of what was said in the Tents at the half, the Leopards and particularly De Anda took it to heart.
The floodgates were opened by De Anda about 15 minutes into the second half, and the veteran Leopards followed, ready to pour it on the Lion Angels.
“The realization at halftime hit, we’re not gonna play anymore. It was the last 45 minutes of many of our careers.” De Anda said.
De Anda went on to score two more goals in the second half.
Senior defender Angel Loza scored only seven minutes later for his first goal of the season, giving the Leopards the upperhand, 2-1.
“I’m very ecstatic because I’ve been wanting a goal,” Loza said. “And thankfully I got it on senior night with my friends and family here to watch.”
Loza scored again with two minutes remaining in the match.
Only two minutes after that, De Anda finds the back of the net again. Another two minutes went by and the Leopards had possession once again and defender Michael Duran scored for his first goal of the season, making the score 4-1.
“We knew we were on them, just based on our 12 shots to their three, the keeper making some shoe string saves so we knew we were right there.” Persson said.
From that point on, the Leopards scored just about every five minutes until the end of the game, with the bench meeting their senior teammates at the corner to celebrate their goals and show some love.
“They had a lot of fun, maybe too much fun at times. We want to make sure we keep it respectful,” Persson said.
Forward Adan Villarreal scored twice, and midfielder Ruben Gonzalez scored once. The senior Leopards were putting on a show.
“A bunch of my family and friends came out, and it feels good knowing they’ve been there since I was a little kid,” Gonzalez said. “So it’s great to see they stuck with me.”
The seniors put an exclamation point at the end of their season and shared a moment with their younger teammates after the game.
“I think they’ll remember this game as one of their greatest college memories,” Persson said.
Ethan Anderson can be reached at ethan.anderson@laverne.edu.
Ethan Anderson is a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations. He is the LV Life editor and a staff photographer for the Campus Times, and a staff writer and photographer for La Verne Magazine. He has previously been a staff writer for the Campus Times. As a lifelong student-athlete, he has picked up valuable skills that he seeks to apply in his career in public relations, and ultimately make an impact.
Jonas Holt is a senior journalism major with a concentration in print and online journalism. He is sports editor of the Campus Times, a staff writer for La Verne Magazine and staff photographer for both publications. He has previously been a staff writer for the Campus Times.
