Miguel Navarro
Staff Writer
The women’s soccer team extended their losing streak with a 2-0 loss against the Life Pacific Warriors on Saturday at Ortmayer Stadium.
The Leopards entered the game with an 0-3-1 record and still looking for their first goal of the season. They came out with an aggressive approach to their attacks.
“I think just knowing what we want as a team really puts a lot of passion for me personally,” senior forward Kristen Smick said. “Ultimately, putting a lot of effort behind your work ethic will show out in the end.”
After a couple of costly turnovers by the Leopards, the Warriors were able to create a breakaway opportunity and score the first goal in the ninth minute.
Despite conceding the early goal, the energy and physicality for La Verne remained strong. However, the tempo of the game was controlled by the Warriors.
With the pressure on the Leopards to respond, freshman forward Laney Cutler led the charge, creating multiple opportunities in the 22nd minute that fell just short.
“Just coming off the bench, I think it’s really important to bring energy onto the field, so that was just my goal to make an impact on the game,” Cutler said.
Although the Leopards matched the Warriors’ shot totals, 7-7, they were unable to finish.
On the other side, the Warriors finished their second goal of the game off a corner kick in the 24th minute.
As the first half came to a close, the Leopards had a pair of shots on target that were saved, keeping the score at 2-0.
The second half gave the Leopards a new opportunity to try to make a comeback.
Early, it was clear that the energy and aggression of both teams had picked up substantially, causing a lot of shoving on the field.
Smick led the charge by not backing down to the physical defense she received.
With the Leopards desperate to keep the deficit at two, their defense held their own to keep the score the same.
“When we’re down like that, it fires me up a little bit more because it’s like you have something to prove,” junior defender Maren Handel said. “You’re kind of coming into the second half, like an underdog.”
The Leopards continued to battle; however, the second half was controlled by the Warriors as they looked to secure the victory. The intensity of the match remained high, but the Leopards were unable to complete the comeback and dropped the game 2-0.
“I think each game we have progressed for the better, which is good going into conference, but of course, you want to be able to have some results,” head coach Lauryn Pehanich said. “I think everything that we do is in preparation for the conference. Going into the conference, I think we are in a really good place.”
The Leopards opened their Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schedule on the road at Occidental on Wednesday night with a 1-0 loss, dropping their season record to 0-5-1.
La Verne’s next matchup will be at 7 p.m. Saturday at Ortmayer Stadium against Chapman.
Miguel Navarro can be reached at miguel.navarro@laverne.edu.
Miguel Navarro is a senior journalism major with a concentration in broadcast journalism, and is a staff writer for the Campus Times. He also serves as a broadcaster at the University of La Verne, and he hopes to one day work in sports media.
Liberty Belle is a senior photography major and marketing minor. She is also the photography editor of the Campus Times. She has previously served as photography editor of La Verne Magazine and a staff photographer for both publications.
