MERCED, Calif. - Jocelin Roa scored the game-winning goal in overtime to send the University of California, Merced women's soccer team (11-2-5) to the CCAA Semifinals, knocking off Cal State Monterey Bay 1-0 in the Bobcats first ever CCAA Tournament match.
Roa netted the CCAA Quarterfinal golden goal in the 94th minute from the top of the box, accelerating past two defenders and burying her shot into the lower right corner of the net.
Jacqueline Tamayo ignited the game-winner as she got the first touch on an Otters goal kick and sent a header from the center circle 15 yards up the field to Zamaya Rivera. Rivera flicked the ball up the field some more, giving Roa the opportunity to run past a pair of defenders and take a dribble before firing off the heroic goal from 15 yards out.
Roa's golden goal was the Bobcats first since March 24, 2021 and the first in a postseason match since the 2019 Cal Pac Semifinals.
With the goal, Roa also reclaimed the CCAA's top spot with 12 goals on the year and extended her CCAA lead to seven game-winning goals in 2026. Rivera's assist was the first of her career.
Alicia Lepe recorded four saves in her tenth shutout of the season. The Modesto, Calif., is now up to 29 career shutouts, including four in her postseason career that included the 2024 Cal Pac Tournament and NAIA National Championships.
The Bobcats controlled the majority of the match, outshooting CSUMB 19-7 and winning the corner kick battle 7-2. UC Merced put ten of its 19 shots on frame.
Roa, Rivera, and Alvarenga Torres shared match-high with four shots.
Rivera threatened early and often and started the day forcing the Otters goalkeeper Willow Baltazar into a diving save from the top of the goal area. The freshman took two more shots in the next 15 minutes and challenged the goalie again the 29th minute.
Alvaranga Torres put headers on target in the 20th minute and again in the 78th minute, while also tasking the keeper with a save towards the end of the first half. Alvarenga Torres' first attempt resulted in the Bobcats first of seven corner kicks on the day.
Roa started getting her shots off midway through the first half.
The Bobcats defense held CSUMB without a shot for the first 30 minutes until the CCAA's co-leader in goals entering the day, Julianna Dow, put an attempt high from 25 yards away.
CSUMB had a free kick from just outside the box and slightly off-centered in the final minute of the first half but the shot intended for the upper right 90 missed high.
Aside from the set piece, the Otters best chance came from Dow in the 76th minute. Dow stole a pass from the Bobcats backline and had a one-on-one with Lepe but put her shot from 20 yards out over the top of the goal.
Six different Bobcats got a shot off in the second half, including two shots from Alvarenga Torres.
Alvarenga Torres, Tamayo, Roa, Makayla Day, Lizzie Ledesma, Lexi Wright, and Sophia Ruys played all 93 minutes and three seconds in the field. Sarai Fresquez and Rivera played 80+ minutes, while Sofia Reiswig logged 74.
Elisa Garcia, Alexia Alva, and Sonya Gregoris came in off the bench for head coach Roman DuChateau.
UC Merced's win was its first ever in four all-time meetings against Cal State Monterey Bay.
Also of note, UC Merced won its first-round conference tournament game for the eighth consecutive postseason appearance dating back to the Cal Pac and NAIA era.
Up next, UC Merced will play at top-seeded Cal Poly Pomona in the CCAA Semifinals on Thursday, November 5. First touch from Kellogg Stadium in Pomona, Calif., is set for 4:00pm.
