On Saturday, Nov. 9, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Athenas outlasted the Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) Sagehens 1-0 to secure the SCIAC Women’s Soccer Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
The Athenas entered the championship game with a 9-3 SCIAC record against the Sagehens holding a 10-1-1 record. Earlier this season, the Sagehens bested the Athenas in two head-to-head matchups. CMS head coach David Nolan emphasized the importance of Saturday’s win for the team.
“We said we set high standards and goals for us, and we’re here now,” Nolan said. “It was tough throughout the year because we played them twice already and they got the better of us. It’s always hard to beat the same team three times in one season.”
Vuvuzelas — loud plastic horns infamously used at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa — blared on the sidelines as spectators flocked to P-P Field, creating a loud and disruptive environment for the final.
From the first whistle, CMS found themselves comfortably in control, outshooting P-P 11-4 and possessing the ball for the majority of the first half. Sagehens’ keeper –– 2023 First Team All-SCIAC Patricia De Palma PO ’27 — was kept busy but remained calm under a barrage of shots from the Athenas, with even Nolan complimenting her performance after the game.
“We got a lot of shots off, but I don’t think they’re really threatening the goalkeeper a lot, especially her,” Nolan said. “She’s unbelievable, probably the best keeper in the conference. So you have to do something special to beat her.”
P-P struggled to get the ball out of their defensive third in the first half, surrendering possession on high passes and consistently running into a tough CMS midfield. The Sagehens’ best opportunities to score came halfway through the first half. Defender Spencer Deutz PO ’25 notched two shots on goal in the 28th minute, but both were saved by CMS keeper Sadie Brown CM ’26.
With the score at 0-0, both teams entered the second half hungry for a goal, and CMS looked to capitalize on their kickoff. Just five minutes in, Riley Zitar CM ’26 sent a free kick to the far goalpost, with defender Emma Fogg SC ’25 heading the ball in the top corner of the net. Fogg, who was named Tournament Most Outstanding Athlete, spoke about the Athenas’ confidence in scoring after a series of close opportunities in the first half.
“We knew it was coming the whole first 45 [minutes] of the half, and I think it just solidified what we knew,” Fogg said. “I feel like the shots showed that we were pressing on them. We could have scored even more goals, and just that shot and goal was the cherry on top.”
Possession continued to bounce back and forth, and the opportunities kept coming for the Sagehens who outshot CMS 5-4 in the second half.
The final opportunity for a late-game equalizer came in the 82nd minute on a skipping shot from Maxine Davey PO ’25 but Brown, who finished the game with six saves, found yet another stop. The Sagehens made a wave of substitutions for the last few minutes in a last-ditch effort to keep the game alive but the whistle blew before they had the chance.
After the game, P-P coach Jennifer Scanlon reflected on the team’s efforts.
“We struggled the first half to have an answer to what they were doing,” Scanlon said. “I think our second half was much improved. We just weren’t, you know, clinical or dangerous enough in that final phase.”
Athena’s midfielder Kaitlyn Helfrich CM ’25 reflected on the team’s preparation for the game and the upcoming NCAA championship.
“I think it was just sticking to what we know, we can play a good style of soccer, and we came in and executed our plan today,” Helfrich said. “I think any next game we feel like we’re up to the challenge and we have such great personnel. 34 players have all been a part of this, so it’s amazing to be a part of this team.”
On Saturday, the Athenas will face Colby College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the CMS men’s soccer team –– who also won the SCIAC Championship — will face Oglethorpe University in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
On the other side of Sixth Street, P-P received a bid Monday into the NCAA Tournament and will host UC Santa Cruz on Saturday.
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