POMONA, Calif. – The fourth-seeded University of California, Merced women's soccer team defeated top-seeded and 12th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona 1-0 in the CCAA Semifinals on Thursday night at Kellogg Stadium.
With the win, the Bobcats (12-2-5) advance to the CCAA Championship game in their ever CCAA Tournament and will play Cal State LA. Thursday night's victory over Cal Poly Pomona also marked the Bobcats first ever Top-25 win in the NCAA Division II era and the second-highest ranked win in program history overall.
The Bobcats win was their fifth straight and 12th of the year. UC Merced's five-match winning streak is the longest since 2023, while the 12 wins are now tied for the third most in program history.
Also of note, UC Merced snapped Cal Poly Pomona's 20-match home unbeaten streak. Cal Poly Pomona is the 4X defending CCAA Regular-Season Champion.
Jocelin Roa scored the Bobcats game-winning goal in the 65th minute from 15 yards out, scoring her CCAA leading 13th goal of the year and her eighth game-winning goal. Sophia Ruys assisted the goal to put the Bobcats in the championship game, taking the ball from the center line all the way down to just outside the 18-yard box before feeding Roa.
Roa becomes just the fifth player in program history to score 13 goals in a year and is just the fifth CCAA player to do so in the last decade. Her eight-game winning goals are the most by any CCAA player since 2012. Roa has tallied the game-winning goal in four straight contests. Ruys' assist was her second of the year.
Roa's shot was one of just four the Bobcats recorded against the CCAA's best statistical defense on record of all time. Andrea Alvarenga Torres took two shots, while Jacqueline Tamayo put one shot on target.
CPP outshot the Bobcats 13-4, including 7-2 on target. UC Merced also had to defend six corner kicks, including two in the final 18 seconds of the match that Tamayo headed away. The Bobcats earned two corner kicks on the night.
Alicia Lepe registered seven saves in her eleventh shutout of the year, her 30th career shutout. Her seven saves are her second most in any of her 30 career shutouts.
Lepe's eleven shutouts are the second most in the CCAA this season and she ranks 13th in the nation. Lepe is one clean sheet away from tying the program's single-season shutouts record.
Center backs Lizzie Ledesma and Lexi Wright played all 90 minutes with Lepe.
Nine Bobcats overall played all 90 for head coach Roman DuChateau. The other six Bobcats that went all 90 include Alvarenga Torres, Tamayo, Ruys, Sofia Reiswig, Makayla Day, and Sarai Fresquez. Roa and Zamaya Rivera also earned a start. Elisa Garcia and Alexia Alva came off the bench.
Up next, UC Merced will play Cal State LA on Saturday, November 6 at 2:00pm at Kellogg Stadium in Pomona, Calif.
