Women’s soccer defeated Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Oct. 31, sealing back-to-back appearances in the SCIAC tournament the last two seasons. The women’s soccer team had not beaten CMS since 2019 until Bella Calemine (sophomore) scored the 1-0 winner in the 88th minute from a corner kick assisted by Jordyn Tribus (senior).
After earning the 4th seed in the playoffs, the team ended their season at home Nov. 2 after losing 3-2 in overtime on penalty kicks.
Head coach Lydia Mitchell said the motivation behind their success was to extend the season for as long as possible, especially for the seniors.
“Every single game, every single minute that we’re out there, we’re fighting to be with our teammates for another minute,” Mitchell said.
Calemine said the team was prepared for the CMS match and knew they had the skills to win.
“We knew that it was going to be a fight until the very last second,” Calemine said. “We showed CMS that we’re nobody to play with. We are a new team, compared to last season, that’s willing to compete and fight against the top teams.”
Mia Merkelbach (junior) said the pressure of the season ending kept players focused.
“Throughout the season, we had become strong and confident playing together, so we didn’t have to worry about our skills,” Merkelbach said. “[We knew we had to be] ready strategically against CMS, because we needed to win to move on, and we weren’t ready for our season to end.”
CMS outshot Occidental 17-3, but Calemine said the team capitalized on the opportunities they had.
“It was an incredible feeling,” Calemine said. “I knew my teammates were counting on me; we were all counting on each other […] Although we only had three shots, that’s all we needed. They needed 17 shots, and still couldn’t beat us.”
According to Mitchell, Calemine is the type of player the team relies on in important times.
“Bella is the definition of a clutch player,” Mitchell said. “She has a win-or-go-home attitude [and] is always looking to the goal. That’s part of why she’s so successful. She is an impact player the minute she goes into the game.”
With seven saves, goalie Melanie Rodriguez (junior) said she attributes the victory over CMS to both Calemine’s goal and a perfectly executed game plan.
“When Bella scored, I felt elated,” Rodriguez said. “It was beautiful. We were practicing those corners the whole week, and that one time, it worked. All it takes is that one shot, and at the end of the day, your team can have all the skill that they want, all the talent, but it comes down to who wants it more. And we wanted it more that day.”
After defeating CMS for the first time in seven years, Calemine said the team’s seniors were especially excited.
“After the game, the seniors were coming up to me and expressing how grateful they were that we finally beat them,” Calemine said. “I was the one that finished the job by scoring the goal, but it was the whole team’s effort that got us into that position.”
Following their season-ending loss against Chapman, Mia Steadman (senior) said the match was hard-fought until the end.
“It was the SCIAC playoffs, and for seniors it was win, or your career is over,” Steadman said. “We played 110 minutes […] People were collapsing at the end from the effort, the intensity, the passion and the emotions. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result that we wanted, but we’re really proud of how we played in that game and we don’t have any regrets.”
Despite going scoreless in the match against Chapman, Merkelbach said the team stayed competitive throughout.
“By the end of the game, everyone was tired, and we’d been fighting for so long, plus the overtime,” Merkelbach said. “It was an even match, and the pace of play was quick, but I thought we held our own. It was unlucky circumstances in the end.”
Mitchell said the seniors overcame many challenges in their careers, but have been able to remain positive.
“They have faced adversity, whether it was injury or competing in the playoffs,” Mitchell said. “Regardless, they play with such joy. I believe it comes through on the field when you watch them play. They love being out there, and that has helped us be resilient.”
After finishing her senior season, Steadman said she is proud of the team’s fortitude and ability to bounce back, despite facing a winless preseason and four back-to-back conference losses.
“They should be excited for the future,” Steadman said. “We had a mid-season slump [and] were able to come out of it, make the playoffs and play one of the best games of the season at the very end, [even] when our bodies couldn’t take it and our minds were tired. Hopefully they continue that, and know they’re good enough to be in the postseason.”
Calemine said the team’s success has earned them a new reputation.
“It shows this new standard of Occidental women’s soccer where we will no longer be considered the underdogs,” Calemine said. “We’re no longer an easy team to beat. We are here to compete. We’re here to fight [and] to win SCIAC.”
Contact Liz Hermosillo at ehermosillo@oxy.edu
