Miguel Navarro
Staff Writer
The 2026 women’s soccer team defeated a team of alumni players, 2-0, in its annual alumni game Saturday at Ortmayer Stadium.
The game gave former members of the women’s soccer program a chance to return to the pitch and take on the current team.
“It’s honestly really fun every year, and it is something to look forward to, especially because you see your old teammates,” 2025 graduate Vivi Rodriguez said.
Despite the game being an exhibition, the competitiveness was evident for both sides wanting to win the match.
Early in the first half, the Leopards thought they had their first goal, but it was later reversed after an offside penalty.
This did not stop the Leopards from continuing to dominate the time of possession and positioning on the field.
The alumni created some opportunities that were quickly shut down by senior defender Maren Handel.
Finally, about halfway through the first half, junior midfielder Sienna Cervantes put the Leopards on the board with a deep shot for the goal.
The Leopards carried this 1-0 lead into the second half, which began quicker with the Leopards continuing to dominate.
Eventually, the Leopards found the back of the net again from a corner kick set up by senior midfielder Alexandra Allen, making it 2-0.
After some key saves by the alumni defense and goalkeeper, they kept the game at 2-0.
When the final whistle sounded, both teams took the opportunity to shake hands and take photos to remember the match.
Despite the defeat, the alumni did not take for granted the opportunity to return to the University of La Verne and Ortmayer Stadium.
These alumni have already experienced the grind of a collegiate season filled with long practices and difficult games. Returning allowed them to pass down advice to younger athletes and help them better prepare for the season.
“I think it’s good to still stay connected to the school and just get to come back to campus again,” 2025 graduate Serenity De La Torre said. “Keeping the culture basically, so passing that on, and it looks like it continues to pass on.”
For the Leopards’ 2026 squad, this exhibition was a great opportunity to meet new people and compete against familiar faces.
“It’s amazing to have people come back from all over,” junior midfielder Lex Sahagian said. “I’m excited when I graduate to come back and also be an alumna and play.”
Despite the match being an exhibition, the Leopards did not treat it lightly and used it as an opportunity to improve.
“This is only our second game that we’ve played together,” senior defender Megan Sewell said. “Any type of contest is just a way for us to prove what we have.”
A highlight of the game was the backline play of the defenders and goalkeeper. One of the anchors of the defense last season was Handel.
“It’s kind of fun for me and why I’ve stuck with defense my whole career,” she said. “I take a lot of pride in being the last man standing.”
Another note for this upcoming season is the Leopards will now be led by head coach Jeffrey Joyner. The match gave Joyner his first taste of coaching at Ortmayer Stadium.
“It was great, and I think the team is really coming along,” Joyner said. “We’re starting to execute some of the themes that we worked on all of preseason.”
Joyner attributed the quality of controlling possession and maintaining control of the game to the victory.
The Leopards now look ahead to their first preseason matchup against Pacific Union on Friday at 9 a.m at Ortmayer Stadium.
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.
Joseph Nocero is a senior photography major at the University of La Verne and a staff photographer for the Campus Times and photography editor for La Verne Magazine. His work can also be found at Joseph Nocero Photography.
