MERCED, Calif. - Vanessa Raygoza scored twice and five different Bobcats found the back of the net to propel the University of California, Merced women's soccer team to a 7-0 win over Lincoln University on Bobcat Field Tuesday night in the season opener.

The Bobcats have now won three straight season openers, two of which by shutout. Tuesday night also marked the first win under new head coach Roman DuChateau.

Raygoza scored her goals in the 42nd and 74th minute for her first multi-goal match in a UC Merced uniform. 

Jocelyne Garcia opened the Bobcats scoring in the fifth minute, beating the keeper to her left from 25 yards out. Joining Garcia and Raygoza in the scoring column were Kassidy Spiva, Isabella Spiva and Celeste Suarez.

Garcia's tally put her ahead of D Covarrubias and Daisy Bonilla for fourth in program history with 64 career points. The goal, the 22nd of her career, put her in a tie with Veronica Villacorta for sixth all-time.

Ciera Santos recorded her fifth career assist on Garcia's goal.

An own goal followed three minutes later on an offensive sequence started by Trinidad Quiroz. 

In the 39th minute, El Capitan High School product and Merced native Kassidy Spiva made her collegiate debut and scored on her first collegiate touch. K. Spiva subbed on a UC Merced corner kick and after Lincoln's attempt to clear it, K. Spiva took possession from about 30 yards out, took a dribble around a defender, and then let it rip for a goal. Spiva became the 13th Bobcat in program history to score in her collegiate debut.

Raygoza gave the Bobcats a 4-0 lead with a header off a B. Spiva set piece in the 42nd minute. Raygoza flew through the air inside the keeper box for the goal.

B. Spiva scored a goal of her own before intermission, receiving a through ball in stride from Preeya Singh and buried a one-timer into the upper left corner to put her team on top 5-0. Spiva has now scored a goal and delivered an assist in three of the last four home games dating back to last season.

UC Merced carried the 5-0 lead into halftime. UC Merced goalkeeper Jadyn Gong, who earned her first career start, made two saves to finish off the first leg of the shutout.

Just over three minutes into the second half, Suarez got tripped up from behind while inside the 18-yard box and converted her penalty kick to score a goal in her collegiate debut.

Raygoza capped off the Bobcats scoring in the 74th minute as she stepped in front of a defenders pass and immediately fired a line drive shot into the far corner of the net.

Veronica Vazquez was the Bobcats goalkeeper in the second half, and like Gong, stopped two shots to secure the Bobcats first shutout of the year.

Overall, UC Merced outshot first-time opponent Lincoln 33-4, 25-4 on target. The Bobcats also earned eleven corner kicks while holding Lincoln without one.

31 Bobcats earned minutes in the season opener, 12 of which made their collegiate debuts and four more made their UC Merced debuts. Freshmen Aaliyah Hernandez and Kaeley Cariglio also earned a start in their collegiate debut.

Other notables include five shots each from Garcia and Suarez and four each from Quiroz and Raygoza. 

Looking ahead, UC Merced hosts Menlo College on Sunday, August 28 at 5:30pm on Bobcat Field.