Defense on Display at Cal Pac Championship
No one is able to predict which team will win the California Pacific Conference Championship Tournament this weekend, but what is a certainty is that every match is going to be defensive battle. All four teams in the field have stingy defenses that have brought them to this point in the season. The 2024 season has produced the three best Goals Against Averages in Cal Pac history, and the top five keepers in the conference will be competing in season finale.
The Championship will be held at Soka in Aliso Viejo, Calif., this Thursday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 9. The winner of the event will garner the conference's lone automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship, with First Round action beginning begin Thursday, Nov. 21, at sites to be determined.
The first semifinal match has #4 Simpson (3-2-2, 5-6-3) taking on top-seeded UC Merced (6-0-1, 9-2-2). The Bobcats, who moved into the most recent NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll at No. 25, have two goalies that posted impressive numbers this season: Jadyn Gong (0.40 GAA) and Alicia Lepe (0.38) ranked second and third, respectively, splitting time in the net. The UCM offense will try and get the ball past Red Hawk keeper Kiah Gridley, who played in all 14 matches and allowed just 1.42 GAA while nabbing 42 saves. When the two squads met two weeks ago, UCM picked up a 2-0 decision.
The second semi is just as promising for defensive-minded fans. Unbeaten Westcliff (6-0-1, 10-0-2), the #2 seed in the tournament, faces #3 Soka (4-2-1, 9-4-1). Two weeks ago, WU edged SUA 1-0 on the same pitch the two will play on this week. The Warriors will be looking to goalie Kayli Cokley to continue her dominance over the Cal Pac this season. Cokely set a new standard for goalies this year, allowing a meager 0.21 scores per outing after surrendering just two goals in 11 matches. The Lady Lions also have a strong presence in the net in Mackinzie Stenstrom, who allowed nine goals in 12 matches (0.90 GAA) and picked up 37 saves.
2024 Cal Pac Women's Soccer Championship Bracket | 2024 Cal Pac Leaders
|
CALIFORNIA PACIFIC CONFERENCE WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP |
|
SEMIFINALS |
|
Thursday, Nov. 7 |
|
4:30 p.m. |
|
Cal Pac: record 3-2-2 |
Cal Pac: record 6-0-1 |
||
|
Overall record: 5-6-3 |
Overall record: 9-2-2 |
||
|
Head Coach: Milton Carrera (7th season) |
Head Coach: Roman DuChateau (3rd season) |
||
|
27 |
Goals |
42 |
|
|
1.93 |
Goals per Game |
3.23 |
|
|
.161 |
Shot % |
.169 |
|
|
12.0 |
Shots per Game |
19.2 |
|
|
1.48 |
Goals Against Average |
0.38 |
|
2024 Head-to-head: Oct. 24—at UCM UC Merced 2, Simpson 0
All-time head-to-head: UC Merced leads series 16-2; UCM outscoring SU 75-9
|
7:00 p.m. |
|
|
||||
|
Cal Pac: record 4-2-1 |
|
Cal Pac: record 6-0-1 |
||
|
Overall record: 9-4-1 Head Coach: Wendy Espejel (4th season) |
|
Overall record: 10-0-2 Head Coach: Jack Gidney (3rd season) |
||
|
36 |
Goals |
49* |
||
|
2.57 |
Goals per Game |
4.08* |
||
|
.195* |
Shot % |
.157 |
||
|
13.2 |
Shots per Game |
26.0* |
||
|
0.79 |
Goals Against Average |
0.17* |
||
*Led Cal Pac
2024 Head-to-head: Oct. 24—at SUA Westcliff 1, Soka 0
All-time head-to-head: Westcliff leads series 2-1-1; WU outscoring SUA 11-5
CALIFORNIA PACIFIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
At Soka | Aliso Viejo, Calif.
Thursday, Nov. 7
Semifinals
4:30 pm - #1 UC Merced vs. #4 Simpson
7:00 pm - #2 Westcliff vs. #3 Soka
Saturday, Nov. 9
6:00 pm - Championship
NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Nov. 21-23
First & Second Round
At sites to be determined
Dec. 2-9
Championship Round
At Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex | Pensacola, Fla.