Courtesy of LC Athletics
The Lewis & Clark men’s and women’s soccer teams traveled to Southern California earlier this month, competing against Azusa Pacific University and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges. This marked the first significant away games for both teams after the LC soccer season began on Aug. 24.
The women’s soccer team played their first match against Azusa Pacific on Sept. 5, losing 1-2. Their second game, against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Sept. 7, ended in a 1-1 tie. Players expressed excitement for these matches. With these being some of the preliminary games of the season, emphasis was placed on working together as a team and finding a new rhythm.
“I felt like we were all together, doing the same thing, and with the same objectives in our head,” said Lucia Barrón Núñez ’30.
Núñez, who played competitive soccer as a goalkeeper throughout high school, was surprised by the shift to a more professional atmosphere in college athletics. She was impressed by the skill of the teams LC competed against.
“We knew it was going to be super challenging for us,” said Núñez. “That was the mental battle. It was hard.”
Despite the challenging nature of the games they competed in, strong team spirit helped LC to compete admirably. They gave impressive performances across both matches. Olivia Melanson ’30 scored her first collegiate goal in LC’s game against Azusa Pacific. The goal pulled LC into a short-lived lead before halftime. Against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Núñez managed a combined 11 saves with fellow goalkeeper Mallory Symons ’30.
Team members noted that the close-knit team dynamic and camaraderie helped to build morale. “A lot of credit goes to the captains and the team itself,” said Olivia Melanson ‘30. “They’re very supportive, and it’s easy to play with them.”
Meanwhile, the men’s soccer team competed against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Sept. 6, losing 0-2, and against Azusa Pacific on Sept. 7, losing 0-5. The team showed impressive efforts from its senior players, who noted the improvement they had observed over years of competing.
“It was good to end off where we started, ‘cause my freshman year we started in California and played some of the other teams in the conference,” said Micaiah Garan ’27. Garan, who managed a cumulative seven saves against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, said he was grateful for the experience overall. “It was nice to play in a different setting in different fields, to get ready for the conference.”
“You can see the difference between how we played freshman year versus this last year,” added Dylan Weinstein’27. “Seeing that kind of difference over the years was really cool and really interesting.”
With the combined skill of experienced senior players like Garan and Weinstein and the enthusiasm of dedicated underclassmen like Núñez and Melanson, the River Otters remain determined to fulfill their potential. Despite not bringing home any wins for LC in their first away game, it is clear that their persistence and team spirit will make them a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming season.
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