COSTA MESA, Calif. – Jocelin Roa registered a brace and was one of three newcomers to score in their Bobcat debut to help power the University of California, Merced women's soccer team to a 4-0 win at Vanguard in the season opener on Thursday afternoon.
The 4-0 win extended the Bobcats season opening unbeaten streak to seven matches dating back to 2020. Thursday also marked the Bobcats highest scoring season opener since 2023 and the most goals in any game since October 26, 2024.
Roa's multi-goal match was the first of her career and she is the first Bobcat since at least 2018 to score twice in a UC Merced debut. Also of note, she is the first Bobcat since Trinidad Quiroz in 2023 with a multi-goal game in a season opener. The Stanislaus State transfer opened the scoring in the 18th minute and then doubled the Bobcats advantage in the 55th minute. Roa is up to eleven goals in her career. Andrea Alvarenga Torres and Alexia Alva assisted the goals, respectively.
Alvarenga Torres made it 3-0 in the 78th minute, while Kamryn Taylor scored her first career goal in the closing seconds. Alvarenga Torres' goal was her second career goal, having scored one at New Mexico State. Taylor joined the Bobcats from UC Irvine.
Alicia Lepe posted her 20th career clean sheet, tying the program-record that has been held by Maggie Morales since 2016. She was not tasked with a save in her third straight opening day shutout.
UC Merced outshot Vanguard 15-4 in the first ever meeting between the two sides, 7-0 on goal. Roa put four of her five shots on target.
Sophia Ruys, an Old Dominion transfer, earned her first career start. Freshman Chisa Wood, Zamaya Rivera, and Grace Rodriguez made their collegiate debut with first half minutes.
Alvarenga Torres and returners Lizzie Ledesma, Jacqueline Tamayo, and Lexi Wright logged the full 90 minutes with Lepe.
UC Merced is now 6-0-1 all-time against PacWest opponents under head coach Roman DuChateau.
Up next, UC Merced will play Saint Martin's University on a neutral site for the first time in program history on Thursday, September 3 at 2:30pm in Ellensburg, WA. Central Washington University will host the match.
