THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – History was made inside William Rolland Stadium on Wednesday night as Cal Lutheran women's lacrosse played their first game in program history. It was also the team's first game as a member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) as they faced the Bulldogs of Redlands.
The visitors would come out on top as the experienced Bulldogs cruised to a 21-1 victory over the Regals.
All 15 student-athletes on Cal Lutheran's roster made an appearance in the program's inaugural contest. This was also the first collegiate action for every member of the team.
While the Regals (0-1, 0-1 SCIAC) struggled against a well-established side, there were some good takeaways for the inexperienced hosts. Cameron Mendez reached double-digits in the saves category, racking up 11 saves on the night.
Cal Lutheran was the better team when it came to draw controls, taking 13 while Redlands (1-1, 1-1 SCIAC) only managed 10. Skylar Purvis led the way with eight draw controls, shining bright in her first career game. Shelby Ingram also made an impact with four draw controls.
The Regals collected three successful clears in their first-ever game, and committed fewer fouls than their opposition, racking up 22 while the Bulldogs committed 27 of their own.
With just over six minutes remaining in the first half, Carly Boccia provided a memorable moment for Cal Lutheran's newest athletic program as she cut inside from the right side of the goal and shifted her stick in to her left hand and thrust the ball into the bottom left corner of the net for the Regals' first goal.
Redlands excelled in their free position opportunities, converting on 10 of their 13 attempts as this covered nearly half of their goals scored in the contest.
Cal Lutheran hopes to use the match as a learning experience as they optimistically look on to a matchup at Occidental on Feb. 22 at 1 p.m.
Box Score: CLU 1, UR 21
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Release by Jeff Rebello, Assistant Sports Information Director