Sunday, September 6
Santa Cruz, CA
11:00 AM
UC Santa Cruz Athletics
0-2-0, 0-0-0
0
vs
2
Pomona-Pitzer
2-0-0, 0-0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pomona-Pitzer | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| UC Santa Cruz | 0 | 0 | 0 |
UC Santa Cruz Drops Sunday Tilt to No. 6 Pomona-Pitzer
9/6/2026 2:42:00 PM | Women's Soccer
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – The UC Santa Cruz women's soccer team fell 2-0 to the No. 6 Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens on Sunday afternoon. The Sagehens struck in the 11th and 73rd minute with UCSC struggling to find their offensive footing. Pomona-Pitzer outshot UCSC 17-8 in the contest with a 5-2 edge in shots on goal. Amelia Fung had one of the Banana Slugs' best opportunities as she ripped a long shot off the woodwork in the first off. With the loss, UC Santa Cruz is now 0-2 on the young season and will be back in action on September 10th at 7:00 p.m. when they travel to the University of Redlands.
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How It Happened
The Banana Slugs were the first to record a goal as Jade Jones took an early shot in the 5th minute, but the Sagehens worked well on the counter taking two shots before connecting in the 11th minute. Pomona-Pitzer's goal came in a transition, working the ball down the sideline before slotting it through the middle and into the back of the net, putting UCSC behind 1-0 early in the contest. The Banana Slugs quickly countered, taking three shots with two on goal in the 22nd and 23rd minute with Kathleen Byambasuren and Emily Estrada both forcing Pomona-Pitzer to make saves. Amelia Fung had the most dangerous chance in the 29th minute as she laid into a shot, striking the upper 90 crossbar area, narrowly missing the equalizer. The Sagehens were able to control the rest of the half, taking the 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
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Out of the break, the Banana Slugs earned two corners but couldn't register a shot out of the sequence. The two teams traded attacks and fought through a possession battle in the midfield, but the score remained at 1-0 in favor of the Hens. Later in the 73rd minute, the Sagehens doubled their lead with a strike from outside the 18 yard box. Ainsley Gove got a hand on the initial shot, deflecting it just into the bottom of the crossbar before the ball bounced over, giving the Sagehens the 2-0 lead.
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Despite the 2-0 lead, the Sagehens continued to pressure UCSC, outshooting the Slugs 5-1 down the stretch, securing the Sunday victory.
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As mentioned, UC Santa Cruz will travel to Southern California for their next contest, taking on Redlands at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday evening.
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How It Happened
The Banana Slugs were the first to record a goal as Jade Jones took an early shot in the 5th minute, but the Sagehens worked well on the counter taking two shots before connecting in the 11th minute. Pomona-Pitzer's goal came in a transition, working the ball down the sideline before slotting it through the middle and into the back of the net, putting UCSC behind 1-0 early in the contest. The Banana Slugs quickly countered, taking three shots with two on goal in the 22nd and 23rd minute with Kathleen Byambasuren and Emily Estrada both forcing Pomona-Pitzer to make saves. Amelia Fung had the most dangerous chance in the 29th minute as she laid into a shot, striking the upper 90 crossbar area, narrowly missing the equalizer. The Sagehens were able to control the rest of the half, taking the 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
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Out of the break, the Banana Slugs earned two corners but couldn't register a shot out of the sequence. The two teams traded attacks and fought through a possession battle in the midfield, but the score remained at 1-0 in favor of the Hens. Later in the 73rd minute, the Sagehens doubled their lead with a strike from outside the 18 yard box. Ainsley Gove got a hand on the initial shot, deflecting it just into the bottom of the crossbar before the ball bounced over, giving the Sagehens the 2-0 lead.
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Despite the 2-0 lead, the Sagehens continued to pressure UCSC, outshooting the Slugs 5-1 down the stretch, securing the Sunday victory.
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As mentioned, UC Santa Cruz will travel to Southern California for their next contest, taking on Redlands at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday evening.
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Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's SoccerTeam Stats
PPC
CRU
Goals
2
0
Shots
17
8
Shots on Goal
5
2
Saves
2
3
Corners
2
2
Fouls
6
4
Scoring Plays
Ava Watanabe (2)
Assisted By: Brooke Bailey
GOAL by PPC Watanabe, Ava Assist by Bailey, Brooke.
10:04
Ava Watanabe (2)
GOAL by PPC Watanabe, Ava.
72:32
Game Leaders
fwd
Shots
2
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
mid
Shots
2
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
