La Sierra Upsets Westcliff, UC Merced Handles Soka
Entering the first semifinal match of the California Pacific Conference Championship tournament, Westcliff had allowed just seven goals all season, and only one of those came in conference play when Pacific Union scored back on Oct. 6. La Sierra, the #4 seed in the tournament, tripled that total Thursday in Merced, Calif., handing the top-seeded Warriors a 3-1 setback, WU's first loss to a Cal Pac team this season, and advancing into Saturday's championship match against UC Merced, a 5-2 winner over Soka in the second semi.
The Championship match is slated for 6:00 pm Saturday, Nov. 9, at UC Merced. The winner of that game will earn the Cal Pac's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship, which kicks off in two weeks on Nov. 21. WU, ranked No. 16 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll, will have to wait and see if the NAIA Selection Committee will offer an at-large bid to the national tournament.
#4 LA SIERRA 3, #1 WESTCLIFF 1 | Box Score
The Golden Eagles defeated the Warriors for the first time in the seven meetings between the two programs and demonstrated they belonged in the postseason with a stunning victory in the tournament's opening matchup. LSU (8-6-1) recorded the only goal in first the half when WU keeper Jesse Heredia, a First Team All-Cal Pac pick, lunged for a kick save only to have Marck Rayo right there to follow the ricochet in the 26th minute and put his team in a position no conference opponent had found itself in 2024—leading the Warriors. In the second half, a Golden Eagles' Jordy Verde, a Second Team All-Cal Pac selection, bent a free kick into the back of the net to double LSU's advantage in the 62nd minute and put WU in a hole. The Warriors responded 12 minutes later when Demitri Rodriguez Robles served up a ball to Mohamed Sidi Haiba, who finished with a beautiful header just under the crossbar. But to great satisfaction of an exuberant LSU bench, Verde put the icing on the cake in the 86th minute when he skipped a penalty kick past Heredia into the bottom right corner of the net. WU (12-2-2) suffered its first setback since its season-opening 4-1 loss to Missouri Baptist on Aug. 24.
#2 UC Merced 5, #3 Soka 2 | Box Score
Despite a determined effort, the Lions were unable to accomplish what no team has in over three years—beat the Bobcats on their home turf. UCM, ranked No. 20 in the NAIA, earned a return trip to the Cal Pac Championship match for the fifth consecutive year after extending its home win streak to 31 matches. The Bobcats (11-0-3) have not lost a home match since Oct. 1, 2021, and are looking to continue that run this Saturday. UCM took control of the game early, scoring three times in the opening 30 minutes, and appeared primed to run away with the win with another tally early in the second half. Jesus Enriquez converted a Jaycob Walker pass into the first goal. Just 1:11 into the contest. Twenty minutes later Cal Pac Player of the Year Daniel Borges scored on an assist from Kevin Capetillo, and just seven minutes after that, Capetillo netted one of his own off a pass from Diego Fresquez. Up 3-0 after the intermission, UCM's Carlos Miranda found the back of the net with an assist from Jimmy Perkins, but Soka was not finished. Hope Suka took a Mateus Seiki service and scored it in the 63rd minute, and then Sam Dagg drove home a shot three minutes later to make it 4-2. Things got very interesting in the 76th minute when an offsides call negated what appeared to be Soka's third goal, only to have Borges break free for a quick goal 30 seconds later to push UCM's lead back to three. Soka concluded its 2024 campaign with a 5-10-1 overall record.
CALIFORNIA PACIFIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
At UC Merced | Merced, Calif.
Thursday, Nov. 7
Semifinals
#4 La Sierra 3, #1 Westcliff 1
#2 UC Merced 5, #3 Soka 2
Saturday, Nov. 9
Championship
6:00 pm - #4 La Sierra vs. #2 UC Merced
NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Nov. 21-23
First & Second Round
At sites to be determined
Dec. 2-9
Championship Round
At Scheels Stryker Sports Complex | Wichita, Kan.