CLAREMONT, Calif. — Occidental (6-10-1, 6-5-1) defeated Claremont-M-S (11-4-3, 7-3-2) 1-0 on Saturday at Nakasone Field.
Bella Calemine scored in the 88th minute, with
Jordyn Tribus assisting off of a corner kick, as Occidental broke a scoreless match late.
It's the first time since 2019 the Tigers have beat the Athenas — Oxy bested CMS 2-1 back on September 25, 2019. No win bigger than this as it secured Oxy home field advantage in the first round of the SCIAC Tournament. Heading into the game the Tigers had yet to punch their ticket.
Occidental was outshot 17-3 but kept Claremont-M-S off the board, with seven saves as a team and a clean sheet.
Melanie Rodriguez made three saves for Occidental in a first half in which Claremont-M-S generated the larger share of chances. Claremont-M-S forced an early stop on a header in the fourth minute and earned three corner kicks before halftime, while Occidental's clearest recorded look came at 21:31 when
Maile Fukushima put a shot on goal that Andra Marinescu saved. Rodriguez kept answering later in the half, stopping Avni Udupa's shots in the 36th and 38th minutes as Occidental absorbed another late push. The half ended with Occidental and Claremont-M-S tied 0-0.
Calemine scored in the 88th minute off an assist from Tribus, giving Occidental the late breakthrough in a 1-0 win over Claremont-M-S. Earlier,
Mia Merkelbach sent a shot high in the 49th minute before Occidental absorbed a stretch of Claremont-M-S pressure that included a Rodriguez save, a shot off the crossbar and a team save between the 56th and 65th minutes. Rodriguez added another save in the 67th minute, and Occidental again kept the match scoreless through a late run of Claremont-M-S chances from the 75th through 87th minutes. Tribus earned a corner in the 88th minute, then set up Calemine 35 seconds later as Occidental finished the second half with the only goal of the match.
Occidental Top Performers
Melanie Rodriguez
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- six saves
- no goals allowed in 90 minutes
Bella Calemine
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- one goal
- one shot on goal
Jordyn Tribus
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- one assist
Occidental ends the regular season 6-10-1 overall and 6-5-1 in conference play and will be the four seed. Claremont-M-S is 11-4-3 overall and 7-3-2 in conference play and will be the three seed.
Up next, Occidental soccer team hosts UC Santa Cruz on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at 11 a.m. in Los Angeles, California.
