THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Cal Lutheran scored nine unanswered goals turning a first quarter deficit into a 10-3 win over La Verne on Saturday at the Samuelson Aquatics Center. The Regals defense held the Leopards scoreless for a 23-plus minute stretch in the victory.
Box Score: CLU 10, ULV 3 - F
Cal Lutheran was out to a sluggish start after an eight day layoff and playing a team it had beaten in its eight previous meetings. La Verne was able to take a 2-1 first quarter lead courtesy of goalkeeper Lauren Shepard's counterattack saves and a Katie Lacek buzzer beating score.
Shepard would finish with 10 saves but Cal Lutheran was eventually able to convert counters into scores. CLU also leaned on its outside shooting to turn things around scoring four even strength goals in the second period.
Claire Whitten's final second goal put the Regals up 5-2 at the half and capped off a momentum shifting second quarter. Adrienne Ingalla, Shannon Streeter, Tiffany Ly, and Whitten each contributed first half scores.
While the scoring run rolled on it was the Cal Lutheran defense that sealed the victory. After surrendering two first quarter scores the Regals held the Leopards scoreless the rest of the way with the exception of a final minute score by Kelsey Broyles.
The Cal Lutheran offense was led by Ly and Streeter who scored a pair each. However as Ly explains it is the team's defense that made the key difference in Saturday's result.
Last season the Regals dropped their conference opener at home by a 10-9 margin in overtime to Whittier. Cal Lutheran was again on the short end falling on the road to Redlands 10-9 in sudden death overtime in its next game.
CLU eventually finished 5-5 in conference play and fifth in the final conference standings. Prior to the 2011 season the Regals had won six straight SCIAC openers, and following Saturday's win CLU has now won 7-of-9 all-time.
Cal Lutheran's defense stopped La Verne on all seven of its power play opportunities. CLU goalkeeper Jessika Bell made seven saves in her second half effort. Starter Kylee Tomasetti made one first half stop.
Cal Lutheran (13-7, 1-0 SCIAC) will be on the road Wednesday, April 4, against Caltech (3-9, 0-1 SCIAC).
