PASADENA, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's soccer team exploded for seven goals in a 7-0 shutout over Providence Christian College on Saturday afternoon at Villa Park Field.
The Bobcats (5-1, 2-0) seven goals scored were a season-high, while their shutout was their fourth in a row to mark the longest shutout streak since the 2016 campaign.
Also of note, the Bobcats are now 2-0 in Cal Pac play for the third time in the last four seasons.
Yesenia Tijerina and Ana Centeno highlighted the Bobcats offense with two goals each.
Trinidad Quiroz scored a goal in her sixth straight game to bring her total to ten on the year. The Bobcats junior is the first player in program history with a goal in six straight games to start the year and her ten goals are currently ranked second in the nation.
Merced, Calif., native Alondra Higareda and freshman Elisa Garcia also scored a goal for UC Merced.
Jadyn Gong and Melody Martinez split the 90 minutes between the posts. Only Gong was tasked with a save.
Tijerina opened up the scoring and was credited for the game-winning goal in the 10th minute. Tijerina's first goal in a UC Merced uniform came from 25 yards out off an assist from Quiroz.
Centeno doubled the Bobcats lead in the 30th minute off a corner. Like Tijerina, Centeno's score was also her first sporting the navy and gold.
90 seconds later, Tijerina was on the receiving end of a long ball and dribbled into the corner of the box before beating the goalkeeper one-on-one to make it 3-0. She became the first Bobcat other than Quiroz this season with a brace.
Centeno joined the multi-goal performers and extended the Bobcats lead to 4-0 in the 33rd minute off a through ball from Kassidy Spiva.
UC Merced took their 4-0 lead into intermission before scoring three more in the second half.
Quiroz extended the lead to 5-0 in the 67th minute tapping in a ground ball cross from Kaeley Cariglio. Her score started a flurry of goals as the Bobcats scored their sixth and seventh goals of the match within the next five minutes.
UC Merced used one of their six total corner kicks to score their sixth goal. The goal wasn't scored directly off the corner, but in the same sequence as Elisa Garcia found Higareda waiting at the penalty marker for a successful one-timer. The score marked goal one in a UC Merced uniform and assist one of a career for the duo, respectively.
Garcia then headed in her first career goal in the 71st minute off an assist from Hannah DeLay. Garcia was positioned near the penalty marker while cashing in her header opportunity.
UC Merced outshot the Sea Beggars 29-3 with 18 of the shots recorded on target. Quiroz put five of her eight shots on frame.
Head coach Roman DuChateau's team also won the corner kick battle, 6-1.
With the victory, the Bobcats improved to 8-0 all-time against Providence Christian College.
Up next, UC Merced will host the defending California Pacific Conference Tournament Champion Westcliff Warriors on Friday, September 15. First touch from Bobcat Field is scheduled for 4:30pm.
