Rhiannon Mimi

Struggling to get the ball out of La Verne territory, midfielder Laura Larsen and defender Kelly Frey went up against Occidental midfielder Moe Kishida. The Leopards had seven unsuccessful goal attempts and goalkeeper Amanda West had four saves. The Tigers mauled the Leopards, 3-0, scoring two goals in the first half, bringing ULV’s overall record, 1-10-1.

Danielle Lampkin
Staff Writer

Last Saturday the University of La Verne women’s soccer team hosted Occidental at Ben Hines Field, resulting in a tough 3-0 loss for the Leopards.

“They got three lucky shots and we weren’t able to finish it,”said sophomore defensive fullback, Cindel De Los Reyes.

The Tigers scored two of their three shots in the first half, leaving the Leopards down going into the second half.

“We did good but they were faster and moved quicker,”sophomore midfielder Vanessa Salvary said.

A losing record has given the Leopards an opportunity to have team growth.
“No matter what the score has been, each game has brought us closer,” said Charlene Creighton, a freshman forward/midfielder.

“The tables will turn,” De Los Reyes said.

ULV started its season with a good number of freshmen on the team.

The transition from high school athletics to college athletics has been a major change for some.

“I know personally that I didn’t play soccer my senior year in high school. The level is a lot higher and they expect more in college,” Salvary said.

Although they are young, the ULV women have the opportunity to take advantage of being a developing and growing team.

“It hit us hard the first time, we are young, but now we have had experience,” Lauren Vanga, a junior forward and team captain, said.

Facing team injuries has affected some final game scores that could have been different, if all players were healthy.

“Play or not, everyone still tries hard,” Creighton said.

Motivating one another is an important part of the ULV women’s soccer team morale.

“If there is one lagging, there’s always someone to keep up with the person lagging.” Salvary said.

Spirits remain high and team members say they are staying positive about their situation.

It is reassuring to members of the team to remember the love of the sport they play.

“The upper classmen do a very good job at keeping spirits high for everyone, they always motivate team members to keep the spirit,” Salvary said.

A positive outlook along with determination to finish is very important to ULV women’s soccer.

Even though the Leopards didn’t have the finish that they had hoped for, it did not stop them from getting applause from their fans, who were especially pleased with seeing their team not give up, regardless of the final score.

“We held pretty strong,” Vanga said.

“It is frustrating to work so hard and not get results you are expecting,” De Los Reyes said.

Facing a rough start, the ULV women’s soccer team is still an incredible and very determined team to watch.

The Leopards will try to earn their second win tomorrow at home against the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athenas.

Danielle Lampkin can be reached at dlampkin@ulv.edu.