College Update: Eric Verso lending helping foot in big way
The following are updates on local athletes at the collegiate level.
Eric Verso (St. Francis High, 2011) Stanford soccer senior: Once a standout as an All-Area Boys’ Soccer Player of the Year at St. Francis, Verso is leaving a lasting impression with the Cardinal.
Through Wednesday, Verso was leading the Pac-12 Conference with eight assists in conference play and his 10 for the season are third among NCAA Division I players.
In conference, Verso is tied for top honors with Cal’s Jose Carrera-Garcia.
Stanford, ranked No. 3 in the country, has been outstanding thus far, as it boasts a 12-1-2 record with a 5-0-2 conference tally.
Verso had a pair of assists in a 3-1 win over San Diego State on Monday. For the season, the midfielder has one goal and 10 assists for 12 points, which is third best on Stanford.
Verso has started and played in all 15 matches for Stanford, with younger brother Mark, also a St. Francis product, having seen action in 10 games.
Stanford returns to the pitch with a match at Oregon State on Friday.
Alexa Montgomery (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 2012) Arizona soccer senior: With Montgomery helping to hold down the backline, the Wildcats have run off three straight victories in the Pac-12 Conference, combining to allow just two goals in that span.
The senior defender is an everyday starter who has played in all 16 matches for Arizona, which is 11-4-1, 5-3 in conference heading into Friday’s match at Colorado.
Miranda Saldivar (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 2013) Swarthmore soccer junior: Saldivar and Swarthmore College had a phenomenal run come to a halt Saturday when they lost to Montclair State, 1-0.
It was Swarthmore’s first loss of the season as it holds a 13-1-1 record with a 7-0-1 mark in the Centennial Conference.
Saldivar, an all-conference honorable-mention selection last season, has started all 15 games for Swarthmore and the midfielder has a goal and three assists for a team that’s outscored its opposition, 65-3. Saldivar tallied a goal and an assist in a 5-0 win over Franklin and Marsh.
Swarthmore returns to college play Thursday at home against Bryn Mawr.
Mallory Carcich (Crescenta Valley High, 2012) Cal Lutheran soccer senior: Carcich is one of just three Regals to have started all 16 matches this season.
A starting defender, Carcich has also tallied two goals and a team-high three assists (seven points).
Cal Lutheran’s last victory came Oct. 21 at Claremont-Mudd Scripps, with Carcich notching the only assist of the match in a 1-0 win. Carcich’s first goal of the season came in the season opener against UC Santa Cruz on Sept. 1, a 3-0 victory. In a 4-3 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference loss at Pomona-Pitzer on Oct. 3, Carcich scored her second goal of the year.
Heading into Wednesday’s SCIAC match at home against Pomona-Pitzer, Cal Lutheran held a 6-8-2 record with a 5-5-2 mark in conference.
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Grant Gordon, grant.gordon@latimes.com
Twitter: @TCNGrantGordon
