LA VERNE, Calif. – Cal Lutheran men's soccer (2-5-1, 1-2-1 SCIAC) fell 4-1 on the road Saturday night, as La Verne built an early lead and held off the Kingsmen despite a second-half push.

The Leopards struck first in the 25th minute when Diego Soto found the back of the net to make it 1-0. Less than ten minutes later, Juan Manzano doubled the advantage and quickly added another in the 36th minute to stretch the lead to 3-0 before halftime.

Cal Lutheran responded after the break with renewed energy. In the 53rd minute, Kane Reese pulled one back for the Kingsmen, finishing off a pass from Brendan Stafford to cut the deficit to 3-1. It marked Reese's third goal in the Kingsmen's last three games. Cal Lutheran generated additional looks, with Tika Kakimoto forcing a save, but the Leopards kept the pressure on.

La Verne (3-3-3, 1-2-1 SCIAC) extended the lead in the 81st minute as Soto tallied his second goal of the night to make it 4-1. Despite late efforts from the Kingsmen, including a strong attempt by Maximo Schelotto, goalkeeper Hector Duenas-Peña held firm to secure the win for the Leopards.

La Verne outshot Cal Lutheran 16-5, including nine on target to the Kingsmen's three. In goal, Cal Lutheran collected five saves while La Verne finished with two.

The Kingsmen will look to rebound Wednesday night when they return home to host Redlands in another SCIAC matchup.