CLAREMONT, Calif. — Isabella Veljacic, Ashley Escamilla, and Maya Blodgett all scored as Cal Lutheran women's soccer defeated Carleton 3-2 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday afternoon.
With the result, the Regals (16-1-4) recorded their first NCAA Tournament win since they made their last trip to the big dance in 2019. They advance to the second round and will face Pomona-Pitzer (16-0-3) on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 1 p.m. This will be the Regals' third time squaring off against the Sagehens this season.
On top of the postseason win, head coach Frank Marino notched his 200th victory. "So proud of our team and their effort today," said Marino. "Winning postseason games is hard. We found a way today. Excited to advance and play Pomona-Pitzer tomorrow."
Veljacic recorded the Regals' first goal in just eight minutes, taking advantage of an errant pass from a Knights defender and scoring.
In the 27th minute, Escamilla scored with assists coming from Anna Evenson and Adriana Maroney to push the lead to 2-0 early. The Knights would cut the lead in half in the 30th minute to make the score 2-1 heading into halftime.
Coming out of the break, the Regals added insurance to their one-goal lead as Maya Blodgett found the net thanks to a great ball by Ally Fisicaro. That third goal proved to be crucial, as the Knights didn't fade away and managed to score in the 81st minute to make it 3-2.
The Regals defended successfully in the final 10 minutes to keep the Knights off the board, securing the win and knocking off Carleton. Savana Durr and Avery West led the way defensively, playing all 90 minutes of the match. Kelsey Slaugh started in goal, picking up two saves and the win.
