THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The Regals outlasted the La Verne Leopards 13-7 in a physical, back-and-forth battle in the first round of the SCIAC Tournament. Cal Lutheran goalie, Izzy de Souza, was a force in the cage as she made 13 saves and added three assists. Bethany Metcalfe took over and scored three times, while four other Regals tallied two goals each.

Cal Lutheran was down 2-1 at the end of the first quarter, but the Regals fought back in the second period. Hudson Geier opened the second half by beating the goalie, but two more goals from La Verne put the Regals down 4-2. Megan Findlay and Chloe Gardhouse evened the score, but the Leopards took the lead right back, 5-4. Lauren Lohmeier was able to knot it back up 5-5 and give Cal Lutheran momentum heading into the half.

From the beginning of the second half until the end of the game, it was all Cal Lutheran. Metcalfe slotted in another goal as Katie Knight followed up with her second of the game. The Regals and Leopards traded two goals each at the end of the quarter, with Cal Lutheran leading 9-7. In the fourth period, de Souza was tested but did not concede a single goal. The Regals pulled away with Metcalfe's third of the match, and Lohmeier, Geier, and Tori Portillo sealed it, 13-7.

Geier's four assists gave her 64 on the year, cementing her as the single-season leader in assists in program history, passing Amanda Jones' 63 assists in 2016. Geier leads the SCIAC in assists this season.

Cal Lutheran played complementary water polo with the offense and defense clicking on both ends of the pool. The Regals will now head to Claremont to take on the #1 Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens in the SCIAC Tournament Semifinals at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.