MERCED, Calif. - The University of California, Merced women's soccer team scored six second half goals against Simpson in a 7-1 Senior Day rout Saturday afternoon on Bobcat Field.
The Bobcats (7-5-1, 5-3) finish their home slate .500 or better for the sixth consecutive season. This year, the Bobcats went 4-4 on Bobcat Field with an 18-10 scoring advantage.
Seven different Bobcats (7-5-1, 5-3) scored in the win, including senior Jamee Bullock who was one of six honored in a ten-minute pregame ceremony.
Simpson struck first in the fifth minute to go up 1-0 but that was their last shot on target the rest of the day and the Bobcats went on to outshoot the visitors 39-5, 22-1 on goal.
Junior Emily Burnett netted the Bobcats equalizer in the 33rd minute. The goal marked her eighth of the year, 29th of her career and it ups her career points total to 69. Claudia Diaz currently holds the program's all-time record with 71 points.
Kaylee Melendez and Jenn Salinger recorded assists on the play. Melendez, at the center line, touched it to Salinger who then sent a pass over the Redhawks back line to the striding Burnett.
Salinger now has 64 career points.
The score remained 1-1 at the half.
Out of the break, the Bobcats managed to get off six shots in the first 16 minutes and it was freshman Zoe Juarez who scored the eventual game-winning goal with a one-timer from 20 yards out in the 62nd minute. Juarez's first career game-winning goal was assisted by Sabrina Barata. Barata has recorded an assist in three of her four games this year.
Daisy Perez doubled the Bobcats lead, 3-1, two minutes later with her first career goal. Unassisted, she beat the leaping goalkeeper and buried her shot into the top fourth of the net.
Hometown freshman Isabella Spiva added to the advantage with a goal in the 80th minute, while Noodles Sidhu made it 5-1 with her first goal of the season in the 81st minute. D Covarrubias assisted on Sidhu's goal and she now holds sole possession of ninth place on the program's all-time assists list with nine.
Covarrubias also added a goal in the final minutes of the match, as did senior Jamee Bullock. Bullocks goal was a header off a cross from Spiva. Door was also credited with an assist, who found Spiva near the corner flag on a throw-in. Bullocks goal was her first of the season, while Door's and Spiva's assists were the first of their careers.
Bullock was honored prior to the game along with seniors Moriah Brown, Clarisa Cisneros, Clara Constantini, Sydney Quintero, Miranda Thomas. All six seniors earned the start. Thomas managed to get off four shots, one on goal.
Other notables include a match-high six shots from Salinger and the 34th straight start for Ally Lozano between the posts.
The Bobcats six second half goals were the most in any half this year.
Looking ahead, the Bobcats travel to Surf City for a contest with UC Santa Cruz on Tuesday, October 29. First touch from Santa Cruz in a battle against cancer is scheduled for 3:00pm. Before the match, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz will celebrate their fundraising efforts for Pediatric Cancer with the vs. Cancer Foundation.
