ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - The University of California, Merced women's soccer team shutout Soka University of America 1-0 on Sunday afternoon and officially clinched a berth in November's California Pacific Conference Tournament Championships. 

The Bobcats (10-2, 7-1) tournament berth is their ninth in a row. The double figure win season is also the Bobcats ninth in a row excluding the shortened 2020 campaign. 

Sunday marked UC Merced's first game since September 29 and head coach Roman DuChateau's team didn't miss a beat defensively with another shutout, their ninth of 2023. All seven of the Bobcats Cal Pac wins have come via the shutout. Jadyn Gong recorded three saves in the victory.

Trinidad Quiroz scored the game-winning goal in the 70th minute from 30 yards out, straightaway. Yesenia Tijerina started the goal scoring opportunity dribbling down the sideline before playing it back to Hannah DeLay at the top of the box. DeLay touched it to the nearby Quiroz, who made a move around a defender and then bounced her shot past the diving keeper.

Quiroz's goal was her seventh game-winning goal of the season, putting her back into a tie for first in the NAIA with SAGU's Anna Bewley. The goal was Quiroz's 16th overall this year which ranks seventh in the nation.

Quiroz and the Bobcats outshot Soka 23-5 overall on Sunday, 7-3 on goal. The Bobcats also limited Soka to just one corner kick.

Quiroz recorded eleven total shots, her most in a Cal Pac match this season. After her goal, she had a one-timer blocked and a shot hit the crossbar in attempt to double the Bobcats advantage. Yareli Hernandez got off three shots, while three other Bobcats took two. 

Thirteen of the Bobcats shots came in the first half and the squad only allowed just one Soka shot in those same 45 minutes. The lone Lions shot came directly off a free kick that Gong caught on a line.

UC Merced's win over Soka was their third in the last four meetings against the Lions. The Bobcats are 5-1 all-time at Lions Den Soccer Stadium.

Up next, UC Merced will host University of Saint Katherine on Thursday, October 19 in a battle between two of the top three teams in the conference. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30pm at Bobcat Field.