PASADENA, Calif. — Caltech Women's Soccer started its fifth season with high hopes and a deep roster, accomplishing unprecedented feats with flashes of brilliance on way to a spectacular finale. The exceptional campaign saw a host of broken records as the team scored its most successful season in program history.

"The team that emerged through the '22 season is an incredible group," said Head Coach Jen Clark, who received 2023 SCIAC Women's Soccer Coach of the Year recognition. "They came into the season eager to grow and learn, and they did that every single day. When the season ended, we had a group of athletes who had taken every chance they could to learn and to improve not only themselves but the entire program. Every day we stepped on the field together was a joy, and the support that everyone had for each other, coaches and players alike, was an inspiration."

The magical season began with the Beavers going unbeaten through four games, letting up no goals in any of the four contests. The group would tie Lewis & Clark in the scoreless opener before nabbing a 1-0 win over Park University (Ariz.) on Sep. 5, with the sole winning goal coming from sophomore forward Jennifer Solgaard off a well-placed corner kick from senior Jackie Wang.

Hot off the big win, the Beavers continued their momentum as they traveled to Massachusetts, picking up a 1-0 victory over Wentworth after Solgaard scored in the very final minute of the game, finding the back of the cage with just six seconds remaining.

The group would stay undefeated as they faced UMass Boston, drawing a 0-0 tie before returning home to Pasadena.

The team made history later in the month as they hosted rival Occidental on Sep. 28. With the score 0-0 through 88 minutes, the Beavers again needed some late-game heroics, and they again would get just that from Solgaard. After Caltech stole the ball from the Tigers, the forward rocketed a shot from the right edge of the penalty box, finding the back of the cage with just 64 seconds remaining. The Beavers would hold off the visitors as the final buzzer sounded to earn their first-ever conference win and their highest season win total since the team's inception in 2017.

The squad would again break history in its final two contests of the year. The group's Oct. 22 matchup saw the Beavers face Chapman in a home contest, where Solgaard cemented her name in the Caltech record books. In the 50th minute, the Palo Alto native set the program's single-season goals record (six) after getting fed a well-placed ball from sophomore forward Shelby Scott on way to a 1-1 tie.

With one final game remaining, the Beavers would host La Verne in a well-attended matchup on Senior Day. The contest proved a defensive battle, with senior Eve Fine and junior Megan Robertson protecting the net for the Beavers. Splitting time at goal, both players recorded a handful of critical saves as the match neared its conclusion.

With the score 0-0 through 88 minutes, the common logic would have been to assume the match ends a draw. These odds meant nothing to the Beavers, however, who had defied those odds all season: the team had scored a game-winning goal with six seconds remaining versus Wentworth, and another game-winning goal versus Occidental with 64 seconds remaining. Both goals had come from their star, Solgaard.

It came as a surprise to not one of the 27 Caltech players, then, when Solgaard came up in the clutch one final time. With the clock approaching 90 minutes, the Beaver defense — which had delivered so many times before  — intercepted a short pass and floated the ball to Solgaard, who swerved a La Verne defender and chipped the ball into the net with less than 90 seconds to go in the game. With the crowd electrified, the Beavers held on in the final moments to earn the 1-0 Senior Day victory. The win not only gave the team its second-ever SCIAC victory, but put Caltech above La Verne in the final conference win totals.

Caltech junior midfielder Kathryn Thompson led the Beavers in the battle of the midfield all season, winning balls in the air and effectively working the ball down the touch line. The star was rewarded for her strong play with Second Team All-SCIAC recognition.

The Beavers' three goalkeepers all played a major role in the team's record-breaking defense, as they led the team to its fewest goals allowed in a season (19), lowest shot percentage (0.96), lowest goals-allowed average (1.12), and the most shutouts (6) in program history. First-year Sophia Steven led the way in saves with 34, and broke the school record in wins with three, while Robertson led the way in save percentage (.846) and goals-allowed average (0.76). Fine started in all 14 of her games played, letting up just seven goals in over 531 minutes; she graduates Caltech with the most career goalkeeper starts (27), a tie for the most career clean sheets (6), and the 2022 SCIAC Women's Soccer Award of Distinction.

The Beaver defense showed its ability to limit opponent shotcreating throughout the season; they allowed just 11.6 shots per game — a program record.

On offense, the group scored goals in five of the team's nine home games, earning three wins and three ties on Caltech's North Field en route to the program's highest overall and conference win total.

"I am confident that with the returners from this amazing group and the wonderful group of recruits arriving on campus this fall, this team will continue to excel," said Clark.

The team will look to top its record-breaking season in 2023, as they welcome those new players before facing a number of high-level opponents. Stay tuned to GoCaltech.com for an official schedule release later this month.

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