Saint Mary’s women’s soccer heads to Portland for a 6 p.m. Pacific match Saturday, Oct. 10, after losing 1-0 to LMU in Moraga on Wednesday.
The defeat ended the Gaels’ program-record 20-match unbeaten streak at home. Goalkeeper Kate Plachy made three saves, increasing her career total to 154, according to SMC Athletics.
Plachy set a program record earlier in the week with her seventh career West Coast Conference (WCC) Defensive Player of the Week award.
The redshirt junior earned the honor Monday, Oct. 5, after making six saves in Saint Mary’s 3-0 win over USF on Friday, Oct. 2.
SMC Athletics said no other Gael women’s soccer player has received the award seven times and identified Plachy as this season’s first repeat defensive award winner. The WCC separately confirmed her second honor of 2026.
Plachy returned to action during the Gaels’ 1-0 victory over USC on Aug. 30, replacing injured redshirt freshman Soraya Souvanaphong, according to SMC’s award announcement.
SMC’s Oct. 5 announcement ranked Plachy eighth among Gael goalkeepers in career saves. She was named the 2025 WCC Goalkeeper of the Year.
“Every block, clearance and recovery run are treated just as important as scoring a goal,” defender Anna Emperador said in an Aug. 27 WCC feature. “That mentality of doing whatever it takes to keep the ball out of the net is what this group has bought into.”
The USF victory also brought milestones for two freshmen. Elizabeth Vega and Brianna Jurasek both started for the first time in college, and Vega scored her first collegiate goal in the 27th minute, according to the official game recap.
Sophomore Ashlyn Vaughn scored her eighth goal of the season less than a minute later. Senior Brittany Holden added her first goal of the season in the second half.
Saturday’s Portland match will stream on ESPN+, according to SMC Athletics.
