Saturday, October 17
Moraga, CA
3:00 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
vs
San Diego
Photo by: Tod Fierner
WSOC | Gaels Look to Build Momentum, Set to Host San Diego Saturday Afternoon
10/15/2026 1:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
MORAGA, Calif. - The Saint Mary's women's soccer team returns home for Alumni Weekend this Saturday to take on the San Diego Toreros at 3 p.m. The Gaels remain one of two teams in the country to record ten shutouts this season and continue to hold the highest winning percentage in the West Coast Conference at .714. Saint Mary's looks to continue its strong run of form against the Toreros and extend its unbeaten streak versus San Diego to seven matches dating back to 2020.
GAME COVERAGE AND INFORMATION
WSOC | Saint Mary's vs. San Diego | Saint Mary's Stadium
Moraga, Calif. | Oct. 17 | 3 p.m.
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
Gaels Bounce Back, Pick Up First WCC Road Victory of the Season…
After a difficult midweek match against LMU in which the Gaels fell 1-0 and ended their 20-match home unbeaten run, Saint Mary's traveled to Portland and left Merlo Field with their first win since the 2021 season. Strong performances from the defensive line, as well as a 34th-minute goal from defender Molly Silva off a Natalie Mejia corner, were enough to give the Gaels the edge over the Pilots for their first WCC road victory of the season.
The Gaels were led in part by three strong 90-minute performances from defenders Molly Silva, Aleiyah Schexnayder, and Taylor Farnum, with Farnum recording her first collegiate 90-minute match. Ashlyn Vaughn continued her stellar season with a game-high four shots, while Kate Plachy was solid once again with two saves and now ranks seventh in the country in save percentage at .882. Saint Mary's remains in the hunt for a top four spot for the first-ever WCC Tournament, sitting just three points behind fourth-place Seattle U who will come to Moraga later this month on October 31.
Silva Takes Home Gaels' Fifth WCC Defensive Player of the Week…
Senior defender Molly Silva earned her first career WCC Defensive Player of the Week after her player-of-the-match performance this past Saturday when the Gaels beat Portland 1-0. This was the Gaels' fifth weekly award winner of the season, and the second time this season the Gaels have won the award in back-to-back weeks. Silva scored her third goal of the season after scoring just one goal in her first three seasons as a Gael. She now leads the team in minutes played this season at 1,242 minutes after playing all 180 minutes in two matches this past week. Silva is also a member of one of the best defenses in the country as Saint Mary's ranks eighth in Goals Against Average (0.43) and is tied for the national lead with ten shutouts.
Series History…
The Gaels have enjoyed their recent run of form against the Toreros, winning their last three matches and going unbeaten in their previous six, including a 2-1 victory a season ago inside Torero Stadium. Holding a record of 15-18-1 all-time versus the Toreros, Saint Mary's took down San Diego 4-0 its last time out in Moraga, a match that featured four different goal scorers for the Gaels.
ABOUT THE TOREROS (4-7-2, 1-3-0 WCC)
After picking up their first conference win of the season in a 3-2 victory over Denver last week, the San Diego Toreros are in search of their first postseason appearance after making the NCAA Tournament in 2014. Picked to finish eighth in the preseason coaches poll, San Diego is led by third-year head coach and San Diego native Greg LaPorte. LaPorte is currently in his second stint with the Toreros after serving as associate head coach for five seasons and helping lead the team to a Sweet 16 run in the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
Sophomore forward Amanda Anders led the Toreros as the only member of the All-WCC Preseason Team and is one of seven goalscorers this season for USD. After coming into Sunday's match with one goal in 12 matches this season, senior midfielder Maquena O'Callaghan scored her first collegiate hat trick and led San Diego to its first conference win of the season. The win also snapped a five-game losing streak for the Toreros, who are in search of their first top four WCC finish since the 2017 campaign when they finished in third place.
Kick off for Saturday's match is slated for 3 p.m. The match can be streamed live on ESPN+, with tickets available for purchase HERE or at smcgaels.com/tickets.
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Players Mentioned
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