CLARION, Pa. (Sept. 7) – The Vulcans secured a 1-0 victory at Clarion after scoring on a late penalty kick on Wednesday night at Memorial Stadium in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.

With the victory, the California (PA) women's soccer team moves to 1-1-1 overall with 1-0-1 mark in league play. Cal has now recorded back-to-back shutout victories over Clarion while posting a shutout win at Memorial Stadium for the first time since the 2014 campaign. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles stand at 1-4 this season behind a 0-3 record in divisional action.

Cal threatened to take the lead with a trio of shot attempts in a four-minute span early in the first half, beginning with a shot by sophomore Megan Elzinga (Mount Wolf, Pa./Northeastern) followed by freshman Courtney Lindgren (Cincinnati, Ohio/Kings) and then an attempt by sophomore Joelle Jenkins (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway). The Vulcans continued to apply pressure with a pair of corner kicks in the 40th minute, however, neither resulted in a shot attempt.

In the second half, senior Juliana Cruz (Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock Township) scored on a penalty kick at the 70:56-mark. Cruz is the team's active career leader with 10 goals while posting her first goal on a penalty kick since the 2019 season. The Vulcan defense remained stout for the rest of the game, as they faced three shots while securing the victory.

Sophomore goalkeeper Emily Ouimet (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) earned the win after tallying five saves while playing all 90 minutes. She has recorded a shutout in each of her two appearances this season, which matches her total from last fall.

Clarion held a slight 10-9 edge in shot attempts, while Cal had an 8-6 advantage in corner kicks.

The Vulcans are back in action on Saturday, Sept. 10, as they travel to face Pitt-Johnstown in a PSAC West matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.