Wednesday, October 7
Moraga, CA
4:00 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
vs
LMU
Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
WSOC | Gaels Host LMU, Head to Portland in Key WCC Matchups
10/5/2026 3:30:00 PM | Women's Soccer
MORAGA, Calif. - The Saint Mary's women's soccer team will begin its first two-game conference week this Wednesday, as they take on the LMU Lions in Moraga before heading to Portland to take on the Pilots Saturday night. The Gaels have yet to allow a goal at home this season and look to extend their program record 20-match unbeaten streak at home versus the Lions. The Gaels will then head to Merlo Field in search of their first win against the Pilots since the 2021 season.
GAME COVERAGE AND INFORMATION
WSOC | Saint Mary's vs. LMU | Saint Mary's Stadium
Moraga, Calif. | Oct. 7 | 4 p.m.
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
WSOC | Saint Mary's at Portland | Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex
Portland, Ore. | Oct. 10 | 6 p.m.
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
Gaels Remain Unbeaten at Home, Pick Up First WCC Victory of the Season…
In its highly anticipated West Coast Conference home opener, Saint Mary's took down the San Francisco Dons 3-0, becoming one of four teams in the country to record nine shutouts in the 2026 season. The match featured the first collegiate starts for freshmen Elizabeth Vega and Brianna Jurasek, with Vega scoring her first collegiate goal in the 27th minute to put the Gaels on top 1-0. Saint Mary's scored added to its lead just 44 seconds later as sophomore forward Ashlyn Vaughn slotted home her eighth goal of the season and 11th of her career in the 28th minute to give the Gaels an 2-0 lead at the break.
After a season-high 13 shots in the first half, the Gaels continued their pressure on the Dons' defense when senior Brittany Holden capitalized on a give away for her first goal of the season. Holden's goal was the second of her career with the other coming in 2024 as she scored the game-winning goal against this same USF side. Goalkeeper Kate Plachy continued to solidify herself as one of the great goalkeepers in college soccer and SMC history, picking up her fifth shutout of the season with six saves in the match to bring her collegiate total to 151 saves, eighth all-time among Gael goalkeepers.
Plachy Takes Home Gaels' Fourth WCC Defensive Player of the Week
Redshirt junior Kate Plachy earned her second WCC Defensive Player of the Week award this season after a six-save performance and her conference high fifth shutout of the year. Plachy has now won the honor seven times in her collegiate career, the most by any Gael women's soccer player, and is the first repeat winner of the award this season. Plachy has recorded five-plus saves in four matches and currently leads the conference in Goals-Against-Average (.640) and Save Percentage (.857) while leading the Gaels to the best Win-Loss-Percentage in the WCC.
Series History…
The Gaels have dominated the Lions in recent years, taking down LMU in six consecutive matches dating back to 2019. Saint Mary's beat LMU 1-0 a season ago, a match highlighted by Ashlyn Vaughn's goalline strike that made its way to SportsCenter's Top 10. As for the Pilots, the Gaels are in search of their first victory over Portland since 2021 in Moraga, a match highlighted by a goal and an assist from midfielder Suzana Shibukawa.
ABOUT THE LIONS (3-5-2, 2-0-0 WCC)
Picked to finish sixth in the conference preseason poll, the LMU Lions have started their West Coast Conference season strong, taking down Pacific and San Diego and joining Santa Clara and Pepperdine as the only undefeated teams in WCC play. The Lions are led by fourth-year head coach and 2024 WCC Coach of the Year Chris Chamides, who looks to lead the Lions to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015 when they made it all the way to the Round of 16.
The Lions opened up their season with four straight losses, but you wouldn't know it with the form they've been in since the start of conference play, taking down Pacific on the road 1-0 before returning to Sullivan Field and defeating the Toreros 1-0. Senior forward Cameron Bourne scored this past weekend and leads the Lions with three goals, while sophomore midfielder Alaina Lee provided the assist and leads LMU with three on the season.
ABOUT THE PILOTS (4-6-1, 0-1-1 WCC)
Portland was picked to finish second in the conference alongside Santa Clara with 61 points in the preseason poll, as the Pilots are in search of their first West Coast Conference victory after a draw and loss to open conference play. The Pilots are led by ninth-year head coach and former Portland All-American defender Michelle French, who in 2022 led the Pilots to their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2013 after an undefeated season at Merlo Field.
After falling to Pepperdine 1-0 and drawing with Pacific 1-1 at home, the Pilots will hit the road for the first time this season to take on USF this Wednesday before returning to Merlo Field to take on the Gaels Saturday night. All-WCC Preseason honoree and senior defender Hailey Bagby leads the Pilots with two goals and an assist on the season, including an 85th-minute goal this past Friday to salvage a point versus Pacific. Junior Tayvi Khann is tied with Bagby for the team lead in points, with the midfielder leading the squad with three assists on the season.
LOOKING AHEAD
Kick off for Wednesday's match is slated for 4 p.m., while Saturday's match will kick off at 6 p.m. Both matches can be streamed live on ESPN+ and tickets for Wednesday's match are available for purchase HERE or at smcgaels.com/tickets.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
GAME COVERAGE AND INFORMATION
WSOC | Saint Mary's vs. LMU | Saint Mary's Stadium
Moraga, Calif. | Oct. 7 | 4 p.m.
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
WSOC | Saint Mary's at Portland | Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex
Portland, Ore. | Oct. 10 | 6 p.m.
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
Gaels Remain Unbeaten at Home, Pick Up First WCC Victory of the Season…
In its highly anticipated West Coast Conference home opener, Saint Mary's took down the San Francisco Dons 3-0, becoming one of four teams in the country to record nine shutouts in the 2026 season. The match featured the first collegiate starts for freshmen Elizabeth Vega and Brianna Jurasek, with Vega scoring her first collegiate goal in the 27th minute to put the Gaels on top 1-0. Saint Mary's scored added to its lead just 44 seconds later as sophomore forward Ashlyn Vaughn slotted home her eighth goal of the season and 11th of her career in the 28th minute to give the Gaels an 2-0 lead at the break.
After a season-high 13 shots in the first half, the Gaels continued their pressure on the Dons' defense when senior Brittany Holden capitalized on a give away for her first goal of the season. Holden's goal was the second of her career with the other coming in 2024 as she scored the game-winning goal against this same USF side. Goalkeeper Kate Plachy continued to solidify herself as one of the great goalkeepers in college soccer and SMC history, picking up her fifth shutout of the season with six saves in the match to bring her collegiate total to 151 saves, eighth all-time among Gael goalkeepers.
Plachy Takes Home Gaels' Fourth WCC Defensive Player of the Week
Redshirt junior Kate Plachy earned her second WCC Defensive Player of the Week award this season after a six-save performance and her conference high fifth shutout of the year. Plachy has now won the honor seven times in her collegiate career, the most by any Gael women's soccer player, and is the first repeat winner of the award this season. Plachy has recorded five-plus saves in four matches and currently leads the conference in Goals-Against-Average (.640) and Save Percentage (.857) while leading the Gaels to the best Win-Loss-Percentage in the WCC.
Series History…
The Gaels have dominated the Lions in recent years, taking down LMU in six consecutive matches dating back to 2019. Saint Mary's beat LMU 1-0 a season ago, a match highlighted by Ashlyn Vaughn's goalline strike that made its way to SportsCenter's Top 10. As for the Pilots, the Gaels are in search of their first victory over Portland since 2021 in Moraga, a match highlighted by a goal and an assist from midfielder Suzana Shibukawa.
ABOUT THE LIONS (3-5-2, 2-0-0 WCC)
Picked to finish sixth in the conference preseason poll, the LMU Lions have started their West Coast Conference season strong, taking down Pacific and San Diego and joining Santa Clara and Pepperdine as the only undefeated teams in WCC play. The Lions are led by fourth-year head coach and 2024 WCC Coach of the Year Chris Chamides, who looks to lead the Lions to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015 when they made it all the way to the Round of 16.
The Lions opened up their season with four straight losses, but you wouldn't know it with the form they've been in since the start of conference play, taking down Pacific on the road 1-0 before returning to Sullivan Field and defeating the Toreros 1-0. Senior forward Cameron Bourne scored this past weekend and leads the Lions with three goals, while sophomore midfielder Alaina Lee provided the assist and leads LMU with three on the season.
ABOUT THE PILOTS (4-6-1, 0-1-1 WCC)
Portland was picked to finish second in the conference alongside Santa Clara with 61 points in the preseason poll, as the Pilots are in search of their first West Coast Conference victory after a draw and loss to open conference play. The Pilots are led by ninth-year head coach and former Portland All-American defender Michelle French, who in 2022 led the Pilots to their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2013 after an undefeated season at Merlo Field.
After falling to Pepperdine 1-0 and drawing with Pacific 1-1 at home, the Pilots will hit the road for the first time this season to take on USF this Wednesday before returning to Merlo Field to take on the Gaels Saturday night. All-WCC Preseason honoree and senior defender Hailey Bagby leads the Pilots with two goals and an assist on the season, including an 85th-minute goal this past Friday to salvage a point versus Pacific. Junior Tayvi Khann is tied with Bagby for the team lead in points, with the midfielder leading the squad with three assists on the season.
LOOKING AHEAD
Kick off for Wednesday's match is slated for 4 p.m., while Saturday's match will kick off at 6 p.m. Both matches can be streamed live on ESPN+ and tickets for Wednesday's match are available for purchase HERE or at smcgaels.com/tickets.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerGK
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerMF
/ Women's SoccerFriday, October 02
Saturday, September 26
Sunday, September 20
Sunday, September 13
