In a clash between the two titans of SCIAC women’s soccer on Saturday, Nov. 9, second-seed Cal Lutheran toppled top-seed Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) 2-1 to snatch the SCIAC Championship title. A sunny, cloudless day set the backdrop for the showdown, the carefree conditions almost masking the massive stakes for both teams.
Coming into the game, the Sagehens were undefeated with a record of 14-0-3, meaning victory in this championship would cap off a historic season and match their undefeated SCIAC title run in 2023.
For the Cal Lutheran Regals, who also boasted a strong record of 14-3-2 before the match, a win would have avenged their 2-1 loss to the Sagehens earlier in the season, where they conceded two goals in the last 10 minutes to lose an early lead.
The game also determined the automatic entry into the NCAA Division III tournament, guaranteeing the winner of the SCIAC playoffs a spot. However, despite losing in the final versus Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) last year, P-P found themselves still hosting the first round of the tournament due to a strong regular-season record.
The game started relatively level with both teams trading offensive and defensive roles, but a long cross in the 18th minute from Imogen Jenkyn PO ’28 found its way past the goalkeeper to put the Sagehens up 1-0. The Hens’ jubilation didn’t last long, however, as Cal Lutheran capitalized on a cross into the middle and scored an equalizer just minutes later.
“We tried to move on in the next play [after the goal], because you can’t change that piece of the game,” P-P head coach Jennifer Scanlon said. “I think the rest of that half we were still a little bit shell-shocked.”
With the game tied at 1-1, Cal Lutheran used the momentum from their last goal to up the ante and reverse the scoreline, converting from a set-piece opportunity in the 27th minute. The Sagehens fought hard to regain lost ground and chase the equalizer, with shots from captain Hannah Hong PO ’26 and Anjali Nuggehalli PO ’26, but ultimately ended the first half still down a goal.
“Going into the [second] half down two to one, we had a lot of belief in our team and belief that we’re gonna come back and even the score line,” midfielder Ava Watanabe PO ’27 said. “If they’re gonna sit back, then we want to keep the ball possessed, play around them.”
The attacking effort from the Sagehens was certainly robust in the second half. Kendrick Dahlin PO ’26, Sabina Rajalingam PO ’29 and Jenkyn took shots in the 50th, 55th and 56th minute marks, respectively, but were ultimately unable to penetrate the Regals’ defense.
“I think you could just tell that we were connecting more,” defender Vivian Rojas Collins PO ’27 said. “We had more chances on the net. I don’t know if [Cal Lutheran] really challenged us with many shots in the second half.”
As the final whistle blew, the score remained unchanged at 2-1 for Cal Lutheran, a testament to the disciplined defense displayed on both ends in the second half.
The Sagehens tallied 13 total shots and six shots on goal compared to the Regals’ three shot attempts.
“I thought we put together a great 90 minutes overall,” Scanlon said. “That was one of our best games of the year. Credit to Cal Lu for, again, maximizing their opportunities and then playing just great, hard defense. They bent, they bent, but did not break. And they had enough to do what they needed to do to get the win.”
Reflecting on the game, Watanabe shared her frustration at the tough loss but believed it would serve as motivation for what was to come next.
“[I feel] a little frustrated [because] we had a lot of good opportunities and when we were playing our game, we were getting in,” Watanabe said. “It’s a tough loss. Sometimes the scoreboard doesn’t reflect how we played, but Monday, the [NCAA tournament] bracket gets released, so [we’re] just getting ready for what’s coming next in the postseason.”
Though the SCIAC victory is the only guarantee of making the NCAA bracket, Scanlon was confident that the team had done enough to merit its spot in the tournament.
“The only way to guarantee getting into the NCAA [tournament] is to win this game,” Scanlon said. “But I feel confident that we’re going to get a bid, because we’ve earned it from our body of work this season. There are 64 teams that get to keep playing, and I think we’ll be one of them. And maybe this [loss] just kind of gives us that extra little fuel and burn to get after it and make something happen in the NCAA tournament.”
The Sagehens were placed on the NCAA brackets shortly after the defeat and will host the first two rounds at the all-turf South Athletic Field instead of their usual grass field.
“The playing surface is different, so it’s a lot faster,” Hong said. “The ball moves a lot quicker on the turf, which I personally really enjoy and I think it makes us look better on the field when we’re passing and playing a lot faster. A lot of people on our team do really enjoy playing on the turf, so hopefully we can use that to our advantage.”
The Hens will kick off the first round on Nov. 15 against St. Joseph’s University Long Island.
“It’s kind of like a spell that we’re under and we’re trying to break it this year,” Hong said. “These could be some of our last games, so just really give it everything we’ve got.”
“We’ve never played them before, so it’s going to be really interesting,” Hong said. “They have a good record and we know that they are also ranked nationally. We’re going to keep playing our game, keep playing our style and hopefully bring out a win.”
Should the Hens be victorious, they will play the winner between the University of Puget Sound and a familiar rival, CMS, on Nov. 16. The Hens have never made it past the first weekend in any of the past four iterations of the tournament.
In those four years, three defeats have come at the hands of Trinity University in Texas, all in penalty kick shootouts.
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