MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's soccer team earned a 2-0 Senior Day victory over Cal State San Marcos Saturday afternoon on Bobcat Field.
With the win, the Bobcats (9-2-5, 6-2-4) remain in control of their own CCAA Tournament fate and can lock in a postseason berth with a win in Thursday's regular-season finale.
The CCAA's leading goal scorer Jocelin Roa opened the scoring in the 13th minute, tapping in a bicycle kick assist from the CCAA's assists leader Andrea Alvarenga Torres. Lexi Wright was also credited with an assist on the play, chipping a pass into the box for Alvarenga Torres. Alvarenga Torres won position against her defender and delivered a successful bicycle kick to the center of the goal area for Roa to put in.
Roa's goal was her tenth of the season, becoming the ninth player in program history with at least ten goals in a season. She is one of four Bobcats with ten goals during their first season in a Bobcat uniform (Trinidad Quiroz/Claudia Diaz/Jenn Salinger). Also of note, her game-winning goal was her fifth of the season and joins only Quiroz and Salinger with five game-winning goals in a year.
Alvarenga's assist extends her single-season program record to 12 assists, also tying the most assists by any CCAA player since the 2011 campaign. Lexi Wright's assist was her second of the year.
The Bobcats goal also snapped Cal State San Marcos' three-match shutout streak.
Zamaya Rivera doubled the Bobcats lead in the 62nd minute after outracing the defense and burying her shot from the left side of the box into the far corner of the net. Jacqueline Tamayo assisted the goal with a long ball 50 yards down the field to Rivera, who needed just one dribble to get into the box and fire.
Rivera's goal was her fifth of the year and third in the last two games. She is the Bobcats first freshman since Hannah DeLay and Kaeley Cariglio in 2022 with at least five goals in a season. Tamayo's assist was her third of the year.
The Bobcats outshot Cal State San Marcos 13-8 on the day, 8-5 on frame. Rivera put three of her four shots on goal, while Roa put two of her three attempts on target. Sarai Fresquez, Elisa Garcia, and Tamayo were responsible for the Bobcats other three shots on goal. Alvarenga Torres had a shot hit the post in the 84th minute.
Alicia Lepe recorded five saves in her ninth shutout of the season, including a leaping save just underneath the crossbar in the 40th minute off a free kick. Lepe's career shutout count is up to 28.
Lizzie Ledesma, Sophia Ruys, Alvarenga Torres, and Tamayo played all 90 minutes for the Bobcats.
Itzel Diaz made her UC Merced debut.
Up next, UC Merced will host San Francisco State in the regular season finale on Thursday, October 29. First touch is set for 11:00am on Bobcat Field. UC Merced officially clinches a spot in the CCAA Tournament with a win or a loss or a draw from either Cal State Monterey Bay or Stanislaus State.
