Braving the sweltering 90-degree heat, Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) women’s soccer claimed a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) on Oct. 5. As a result, the Sagehens added to their impressive record in the iconic Sixth Street Rivalry, having now gone undefeated in the last 10 matchups against the Athenas.
With key goals from Ella Endo PO ’25 and Hannah Hong PO ’26, and a solid defense that kept the Athenas at bay, the Hens earned a clean sheet win to bring their SCIAC record to 4-1-1.
The game started seemingly even, with both teams maintaining spells of possession and playing out wide to build up attacks. As the first half wore on, however, P-P gradually took control of the midfield, pushing forward and creating several dangerous chances. Their first major opportunity came around the 30th minute from a short corner, which forced Athenas’ goalkeeper Sadie Brown CM ’26 to make a crucial save.
Brown reflected on her team’s approach going into an especially tough matchup.
“When it’s a Sixth Street Rivalry game, we kind of get antsy,” Brown said. “It’s a lot of pressure. Our main tactic going in was to play our game.”
Despite a resolute CMS defensive performance, the Hens eventually capitalized on a set piece in the 40th minute when the Athenas conceded a freekick outside the box. Centerback Vivian Rojas Collins PO ’27 delivered a pinpoint assist to 2023 First Team All-American Endo, who headed the ball into the back of the net for her fourth goal in 11 games this season. According to Endo, it was a moment she had been waiting for.
“This is a game that we look forward to all season,” Endo said. “I think that we play our best against CMS, and CMS plays their best against us because it has such a history of competition.”
Coming out of halftime with a 1-0 lead, it did not take the Sagehens long to double the score. In the 51st minute, Imogen Jenkyn PO ’28 found Hong with an airborne cross into the box. Hong powered in another header, giving the Sagehens breathing room.
Endo commented on how the team has been working to diversify their attacks.
“We focused on varied attacks, and today we scored two headers,” Endo said. “That’s not something we usually do. It was a good sign that we’re evolving in our attack.”
Despite the two-goal lead, P-P kept up their high press, pushing for more goals and denying CMS any real chance of getting back into the game. The Athenas struggled to find their rhythm as the Hens frequently snatched back possession, and were limited to just six shots compared to 13 for the birds in blue.
Collins played a key role in keeping the Athenas quiet, anchoring the defense with composure and organization. For her effort, Collins was awarded the team’s “brick,” a tradition that honors the game’s standout player.
“We call it bricks, and it’s pretty much the coach picks one player for every game we win to get a brick,” Collins said. “It’s like building up to SCIAC and NCAA.”
The rivalry brought out passion in both teams, with Brown speaking on what the Athenas could do moving forward in the season after the loss.
“In our post-game talk, we definitely talked about our standard of play and how we know that we can do better than this,” Brown said. “We are disappointed with the result from today, but we know we can do better.”
According to Collins, the Hens rose to the pressurized occasion.
“I think it was really good for our team to get to play at that level,” she said. “It’s obviously extra intensity, and it was great to get the clean sheet.”
The Athenas defeated La Verne 1-0 at home on Wednesday, Oct. 9 and the Hens will face La Verne on Saturday, Oct. 12.
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