SAN DIEGO – On a historic Sunday night at Torero Stadium, USD women's soccer powered to a 3-1 victory over CSUN, remaining undefeated in its first four matches for the first time in 15 years.
 
After tying the season's first three contests, Las Toreras finally punched through to the winners circle to also clinch head coach Greg LaPorte's first career home win as a head coach.
 
"This was a great step forward for the team," LaPorte said. "We talk about defending with pride at home and it's special. This win at home for the first time in my career is special, but I'm hoping to keep going with this, we want more. We're eager and we want it to be special at home."
 
Sophomore defender Ella Callanan frequented the stat sheet, scoring and assisting. Senior forward Katelyn Bessemer scored her first career goal, junior Tamia Graham opened her scoring account for the season and grad transfer Abigail Colton tallied her first point as a Torero with an inch-perfect assist. Junior goalkeeper Ilise Medrano matched her career high with eight saves, the clean sheet only being thwarted by a penalty called after Video Assistance Review.
 
How it Happened

• Redshirt freshman defender Hannah Faklaris made her first career start as Medrano also slid back into the starting 11 in goal for the first time since the season opener
• It didn't take long for the Toreros to take first advantage as Graham pounced on a loose ball outside the box and rifled a composed one-touch finish into the bottom left corner
• Exactly four minutes later the Toreros got their second as Colton threaded a ball perfectly down the line as Callanan beat her opponent to the ball, gathered, and slotted the ball into the right side netting
• After preserving the 2-0 lead, in the 53^rd minute the referee whistled for a CSUN penalty and VAR upheld his decision that a USD defender brought down the attacking Matador in an aerial duel … Medrano guessed the right direction but the PK was placed well into the top corner by CSUN's Cailey Jackson to halve San Diego's lead
• Nine minutes later, the Toreros pulled the goal back … In what LaPorte credits as one of midfielder Hailey Vermilyea's best performances yet, the freshman sent a free kick into the 18 which was seemingly cleared until Callanan lobbed the ball back which Bessemer ran onto and volleyed over the keeper's shoulder into the net
• USD would keep the guests at bay in the remaining 23 minutes, helped by Medrano's seventh of eight saves, a 1-on-1

 
Torero Tidbits

• The Toreros are off to their longest unbeaten streak to start a season since winning four straight to begin the 2010 campaign
• LaPorte notches his first home win as a collegiate head coach against the side which he bested last season for his second career win
• The win at Torero Stadium is USD's first since Aug. 25, 2022, a 2-1 win over Cal Baptist 23 home matches ago
• With the goal and assist (three points) Callanan surpasses her points total of three from her WCC All-Freshman season in 2024 with four now in 2025
• Medrano tied a career-high in saves, the clean sheet only soiled by a PK
• USD's 11^th-minute goal saw the Toreros take their first lead of the season, first lead in a game since a 2-1 win at Pacific on Oct. 23, 2024, seven matches ago … it is also San Diego's first home lead and first time being the first side to score since a bout with Gonzaga on Oct. 2, 2024, 11 matches ago