ALISO VIEJO, CA- The Soka University Lions fell to the University of Laverne Leopards 2-0 Friday evening at the Lions' Den Soccer Stadium.

An early goal scored by the Leopards' Ana Preciado in the second minute of the game left Soka to hunt for an equalizer for the entirety of the match. La Verne netted an insurance goal in the 59th minute of play to give the Leopards the two-goal advantage and their first win of the year.

Soka's Alex Bershtein and Ashley Fujimori lead the Lions with three shots, while Kamry Aragon, Ashley Aranda, and Mallorie Barteau each had a pair of shots on the day.

"Today's score does not reflect how well we played and our decision-making during the game," said Head Coach Wendy Espejel. "We minimized mistakes and held the ball well throughout the game. The simple things made a big impact tonight, and although we had a consistent game overall, a few individual moments still hurt us. These games serve as great preparation for the season, and I look forward to a great overall season with this team."

Up next, the Lions open Cal Pac Conference play at home against Park University-Gilbert on Thursday, September 7, 2023. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

 
NOTES: The Lions are now 1-3-0 overall… Soka took 13 shots to La Verne's 14… Soka's Mackinzie Stenstrom (5) and Lillian Dukes (5) made seven combined saves on the day.