Lady Elks Edge Pacific Union in Dramatic Final Home Match

IRVINE, Calif. — Under the lights of Great Park on Sunday night, the Stanton Lady Elks closed out their home schedule with a thrilling 1–0 victory over the Pacific Union Pioneers in a long-awaited Cal Pac matchup.

The meeting between the two sides was weeks in the making. Originally scheduled to take place in Northern California earlier this month, the match was postponed and ultimately canceled due to Pacific Union's logistical and essential staff shortages, resulting in an automatic Stanton win. This time, the Pioneers made the trip south—and they came ready to fight.

From the opening whistle, both teams battled for control in a tense, physical contest. Stanton fired off 12 shots to Pacific Union's 5, but the Pioneers' efforts were far from harmless, testing Stanton's young goalkeeper, freshman Prima Nikornnarong, multiple times. The defining moment came when Pacific Union earned a penalty kick midway through the second half. With the game hanging in the balance, Nikornnarong dove perfectly to deny the shot—keeping the match scoreless and electrifying the home crowd.

Just when it seemed the match would end in a stalemate, Lily Carcano delivered a moment of brilliance. With only nine minutes remaining, Carcano broke free through the Pioneer defense, dribbled past her marker, and found herself one-on-one with goalkeeper Avery Alves. Calm and composed, she slotted the ball into the net for the game-winning goal, sealing a dramatic finish to the Lady Elks' home campaign.

With the victory, Stanton now turns its focus north once again as they travel to face Simpson University. The Lady Elks await their official seeding for the upcoming Cal Pac Tournament in the weeks ahead—carrying both momentum and belief after a defining night in Irvine.