Box Score

SAN DIEGO - The Sea Lions are your 2014 Pacific West Conference Champions! The Point Loma women's soccer team claimed the first PacWest Championship in the history of the school with a 5-0 shutout of Holy Names on Saturday, Nov. 1.
 
Five different student-athletes scored for the Sea Lions (12-2-0, 11-0-0 PacWest) which extended their PacWest winning streak to 11 matches as they earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA West Regional in the process. This is the first year the Sea Lions have ever been eligible for the NCAA postseason after officially becoming an active member in July.
 
"This is absolutely incredible," said Point Loma head coach Tim Hall. "They played really well all year and did what they needed to do at certain points of the year. I am so proud of them."
 
Point Loma got on the board early on a long goal by Dottie Rhoten in the sixth minute off an assist by senior Natalie Swift.  This was the second straight match Rhoten has registered a goal.
 
Morgan Pearce and Michaela Maes each tacked on goals in the 30th and 36th minutes, respectively, to give Point Loma a 3-0 lead at halftime.
 
Tara Kracy extended the Sea Lions' lead to 4-0 with one of the year's most beautiful goals. After a missed PLNU attack the ball was put into the air and Pearce headed it back into the box to Kracy. Kracy set up with her back to the goal and went with the standing bicycle kick. The ball floated high over shoulder and over a leaping goal tender for the score.
 
The senior Swift got a goal of her own in the 75th minute off an assist from Perri Beck and Pearce. It was the fourth point of the day for both Swift and Pearce as each registered a goal and two assists.
 
PLNU also extended its shutout streak to eight and ran its consecutive minute shutout run to 744:21. Senior Lupe Herrera and sophomore Ariel Oriarte split time in goal but neither saw much action as the Sea Lions' defense locked down Holy Names (0-13-1, 0-9-1 PacWest) and held them without a shot in the match.  Meanwhile, PLNU had 39 shots, including 14 shots on goal.
 
"Today I was very proud because we played consistent soccer for 90 minutes offensively and defensively," said Hall. "They kept a good level of discipline all game."
 
The Sea Lions took care of business at home to clinch the title in front of their fans. When the final buzzer went off the team soaked coach Hall in Gatorade and dogpiled on its three seniors.
 
"They are incredible girls," said Hall of the three seniors. "They are great players but they are better people. That to me is the most important part. They are so excited right now and you rarely get to experience this stuff in your lifetime, if ever, so for them to get this is huge. I am so excited for those girls."  
 
The 2014-15 season was a year has been anticipated in the Point Loma Athletic Department since before the transition to NCAA Division II was announce. Coach Hall, like many of the Sea Lions' coaches had been strategically building to this point.
 
"When we decided to go NCAA Division II this is what our Athletic Director Ethan Hamilton said we were building for," Hall explained.  "Not just administratively but with each team and the details in recruiting. It is not an exact science, we are fortunate and I thank God for the girls we have and the quality they are on and off the field. The timing has been incredible. You couldn't have written it up any better."
 
Even though it was a great moment to see every one celebrating on the pitch today coach Hall is not yet satisfied.
 
"There is so much more to go," explained Hall. "This thing is not over. We have Cal State San Marcos on Tuesday and California Baptist on Saturday and I am hoping this puts more fire into our team to go get those too."
 
PLNU will play a non-conference contest at Cal State San Marcos on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 12:30 p.m. The Sea Lions will then close out their regular season at California Baptist on Saturday, Nov. 8.
 
This is PLNU's first women's conference championship since winning the Golden State Athletic Conference title in 2011 and just the second in the history of the women's soccer program.