CMS Uses Late Goal to Slide Past UCSC in Season Opener

Tuesday, September 1

Claremont, CA

6:00 PM

UC Santa Cruz Athletics

0-1

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

1-0

Team	1	2	Final F
UC Santa Cruz	0	1	1
Claremont-M-S	1	1	2

9/1/2026 8:40:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

CLAREMONT, Calif. – The UC Santa Cruz women's soccer team fell 2-1 to the CMS Athenas in their season opener. Cassidy Segrell scored the lone goal for the Banana Slugs, striking the back of the net off a corner in the 63rd minute. Segrell's shot took a deflection off the head of a CMS defender before hitting the side netting. CMS outshot the Banana Slugs 11-4 in the contest with a 6-2 advantage in shots on goal. The two teams were tied in fouls with five a piece while CMS was given one yellow card in the contest. UC Santa Cruz will return home to host No. 6 Pomona-Pitzer at 11:00 a.m. on the Lower East Field.

How It Happened
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps had the early chances as they pressured early with a shot in the 8th minute. The two teams battled through the midfield for much of the first, but CMS broke through in the 32nd minute with a goal right off the six yard box down the center of the goal netting. The score remained 1-0 through the end of the first half with Ainsley Gove making a save in the 40th minute.

The Athenas continued to pressure out of the halftime break, taking a shot on goal in the 48th minute but Gove was there to make a save again. In the 63rd minute, UC Santa Cruz found their equalizer as Cassidy Segrell bent one in directly off the corner. The shot took a deflection off the top of a CMS defenders head but still found the side netting to tie the game at 1-1 with just under 30 minutes to play in the contest. The Athenas quickly responded with a shot on goal in the 65th minute but Gove made another save to keep things tied at 1-1. CMS continued to press, forcing the issue in the 78th minute after slotting a softly shot ball past Gove and into the back of the net through the chaos in front of the goal mouth.

UC Santa Cruz had two more shots late in the contest, but Lili Loney's shot was blocked while Kirsten Li's attempt was saved. The Banana Slugs couldn't find the late equalizer as CMS took the 2-1 victory over UCSC in the season opener.