Villacorta OT winner keeps UC Merced women’s soccer atop Cal Pac standings

Veronica Villacorta has had the scoring touch the last two weeks for the UC Merced women’s soccer team.

The senior center midfielder, who scored a career-high seven goals last year, matched that total in the Bobcats’ last five games. None during the run have been bigger than Saturday’s overtime winner in a 3-2 victory over visiting Marymount.

After yielding a late equalizer with 2:22 left, UC Merced answered just 25 seconds into the first 10-minute, sudden-death overtime. Ashley Bennett made a determined run down the right wing, shaking off a defender and delivering a cross toward the near post. Elizabeth Cruz flicked the cross toward the middle of the box, and Villacorta won a race to the ball, one-timing the winner home.

The victory left the Bobcats (8-1-3, 5-0 California Pacific Conference) as the only undefeated team left in the conference.

Center back Desiree Coles opened the scoring with perfectly located free kick, drilling a shot from 30 yards out into the top right corner of the goal. Marymount (5-7, 3-1) answered with about 20 minutes to play, but Daisy Bonilla put the Bobcats back on top in the 87th minute.

A Coles free kick got things started again, drilling her shot off the Marymount goalkeeper. Bonilla pounced on the rebound.

UC Merced couldn’t seal the deal in regulation, allowing the late equalizer.

Villacorta quickly picked up her team, however, slotting home her career-high eighth goal.

Men’s soccer

Marymount 2, UC Merced 1 – Brian Chongtoua scored with just over 8 minutes to play to spark a wild final push by the Bobcats, but the equalizer never came in a home loss to the Mariners (8-2-1, 4-0 Cal Pac).

Derick Zamora set up the late goal, and Alan Ochoa made one save for Merced (6-5, 5-1) in the first-place battle.

Women’s volleyball

UC Merced 3, La Sierra 2 in Riverside – Big nights from Dominique Andrews (team-high 15 kills), Rachael Schaefer (14) and Jade Fachin (13) helped the Bobcats win their third five-set thriller in their last four matches.

Brooke Wheeler had 47 assists and three blocks as UC Merced (6-11, 4-3 Cal Pac) shook off a five-set loss from the night before and pulled even with the Golden Eagles for third in the Cal Pac.

This story was originally published October 9, 2016 at 4:54 PM with the headline "Villacorta OT winner keeps UC Merced women’s soccer atop Cal Pac standings."