California Baptist University
10-8-3, 3-3-1
#2 Seeded UCLA
17-3-3, 8-1-2
CBU Ends Season in Westwood in a Close Match Against UCLA
11/16/2024 12:35:00 AM | Women's Soccer
WESTWOOD, CA--- The California Baptist women's soccer program closed out its 2024 season on Friday evening in a close match against two-seeded UCLA in the first round of the NCAA National Women's Soccer Tournament. In a match that heavily favored the higher seed, CBU's Lauryn White found a late equalizer to force a pair of overtimes that saw a timely penalty kick goal secure a 2-1 win for the Bruins. UCLA will move on to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and will face Virginia Tech later this week, while the Lancers conclude their season 10-7-3.
"I can't say enough just how proud of this team I and our coaching staff are. The first goal can be attributed to nerves. After we settled in, we refocused and went to work. We had a strong game plan that worked very well, disrupting our opponent's game plan and creating dangerous scoring opportunities against the top-ranked defense in the nation," remarked Head Coach Kristen St. Clair.
UCLA came out fast and was rewarded early with a goal in the second minute on account of nerves from the first-time NCAA participants, but CBU settled in once the match restarted. The whistle favored the Bruins through both halves, with CBU called for 21 fouls during the 102 minutes of action. White's equalizer came with just six minutes remaining in regulation time after Morgan Witz dumped a ball over the Bruin backline that teed up the senior forward for her seventh goal of the season. The Lancers weathered an intense UCLA offense for 88 minutes before pushing through a first ten-minute overtime period that saw a pair of shots from the Bruins. Just one minute into the second overtime frame, the center referee rewarded UCLA with a penalty kick after a CBU defender stepped to the ball and stood up a Bruin that immediately fell upon contact. After VAR review, the center referee stood by her call, and the match ended in favor of a UCLA penalty goal, finalizing the game on account of the NCAA golden goal reinstated rule.
"Whether a coach, player, or fan, no one wants to see a post-season game decided by a controversial penalty kick, particularly in double overtime. But we can't control those calls; we can only focus on what we can control. Our team competed with tremendous heart, grit, and integrity, leaving everything they had on the field," continued St. Clair. "Our goal this season was to compete for a platform bigger than ourselves, for our university, and to make our alumni proud. This is a special senior class. They have invested and elevated CBU Soccer onto the NCAA Division I national stage."
The Lancers end their most successful Division I Era season as Western Athletic Conference Tournament Champions and first-time participants in the NCAA National Tournament. Drawing a two-seeded UCLA who allowed just seven goals and tallied 16 shutouts this season was a stiff challenge, but CBU rose to the occasion and scored during regulation against one of the best backlines in the nation. California Baptist ends their season with 27 goals and ten wins, with White leading the squad with seven goals and Witz totaling ten assists during their senior seasons. Jana Heinen and Jayden Ramirez also finish their final seasons with CBU soccer as true leaders of the team, collecting All-WAC honors during the regular season. CBU will say goodbye to 12 seniors this season, including Marcella Brooks, Paige Ingram, Rilee Harmon, Jordan Roe, Grace Blumfeldt, Riley Goossen-Brown, Taylor Summit, Natalia Castro, Heinen, Ramirez, Witz, and White.
Team Stats
Kara Croone (1)
GOAL by UCLA Croone, Kara.
01:04
Lauryn White (7)
Assisted By: Morgan Witz
GOAL by CBU White, Lauryn Assist by Witz, Morgan.
83:46
Jayden Perry (2)
UCLA Jayden Perry PENALTY KICK GOAL.
101:15
