CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Cal Lutheran men's soccer team wrapped up its 2026 campaign Saturday morning, falling 1-0 on the road to Pomona-Pitzer in its season finale. The Kingsmen battled throughout the match and created several opportunities to find the equalizer, but the Sagehens held on for the shutout.
Cal Lutheran finished the season with a 5-9-4 overall record and a 3-7-2 mark in SCIAC play, more than doubling its win total from a season ago. The Kingsmen entered conference play with momentum after a strong 2-1-2 start to the season and continued to show growth throughout the year.
The two teams played to a scoreless first half, with Cal Lutheran generating five shots and putting three on target.
Zach Mohr,
Gavin Arce and
Shaw Nishizawa each tested Pomona-Pitzer goalkeeper Gavin Honey, but the Sagehens kept the Kingsmen off the scoreboard.
Jackson Bankers made two saves in the opening 45 minutes to keep the match even heading into halftime.
Cal Lutheran continued to create chances after the break, outshooting Pomona-Pitzer 8-3 in the second half.
Yusuf Bodiat put an attempt on target in the 57th minute, while Mohr continued to pressure the Sagehens' defense with multiple opportunities. Bankers also came up with two more saves to keep Pomona-Pitzer from breaking through.
The Sagehens found the difference in the 71st minute when Nate McGlinchey scored to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. The Kingsmen pushed forward in search of an equalizer, with
Samir Lumba, Mohr and Nishizawa putting shots on target in the final eight minutes, but Honey turned away each attempt to preserve the shutout.
Cal Lutheran finished with a 13-7 advantage in shots and put eight attempts on goal. Mohr led the Kingsmen with four shots, including three on target, while Nishizawa added two shots on goal. Bankers recorded four saves in the full 90 minutes.
Saturday's match marked the end of the 2026 season and the collegiate careers of nine Kingsmen, including eight seniors:
Gavin Arce,
Dane Paulson,
Ching Leung,
David Pahud,
Silas Burnsilver,
Maximo Schelotto,
Samir Lumba and
Jackson Smart, along with fifth-year
Tika Kakimoto.
The graduating class leaves its mark on the program, with Schelotto finishing among the team's top three goal scorers with six goals and Paulson adding four. Mohr led the Kingsmen with 11 goals on the year, while Smart was a key presence on the back line, ranking second on the team in minutes played with more than 1,300.
While the Kingsmen say goodbye to an important group, the future remains bright. Several key contributors are set to return next season, including Nishizawa, Mohr and goalkeepers
Jackson Bankers and
Anthony Sound, giving Cal Lutheran a strong foundation to build upon heading into 2027.
