History was made this season, when Southwestern College won the first Pacific Coast Athletic Conference women’s soccer championship in school history.

Throughout the season, head coach Carolina Soto issued a challenge to her team.

“What do you want to leave behind?” Soto asked her players. “What do you want your legacy to be?”

With a 12-6-4 (6-0-2 PCAC) record and an overpowering offensive attack, the 2018 Jaguars finally got over the hump after finishing in the top three of the PCAC each of the past five years.

Soto said early season losses took the pressure of going undefeated off the team.

“We had this pressure last year, keep winning, keep winning. Because we kept winning,” Soto said. “We lost early and I am able to find out and say ‘Hey, let’s work on this.’”

Sophomore midfielder Damaris Aguila said developing a good chemistry has also been a big part of their success.

“We did not have chemistry at the beginning,” Aguila said. “Now that we have been practicing and playing games, we have been developing that chemistry.”

Sophomore defender Makayla Saenz said playing a tougher schedule this season motivated the team to improve.

“It humbled us in a way,” she said. “Going out of the city, it’s very humbling. That makes us come back to practice and know we have to work harder.”

Saenz said the feeling of making history is exciting.

“It’s insane to go down in history,” she said “we’ll be the first that won a conference title.”

Saenz added that Soto’s tenacity is a huge factor in the team’s success.

“The effort she put in is crazy and is inspiring,” Saenz said. “Her practices are intense but that’s what is needed when you’re playing teams at the level we are playing.”

Soto said that she felt proud for her team to represent Chula Vista.

“To be able to represent our community, to be on top, and to prove a lot of people wrong is great,” Soto said. “We’re excited, I think the most important things for us is that we are representing Southwestern College. Not only the athletic department, but the women’s side of the sport.”

Aguila won the MVP award for her 12 goals and nine assists. She said winning MVP is the fruit of her labor during the offseason.

“It shows the effort I put in this summer,” she said.

The Jaguars’ hard work paid off. Their effort made them the first women’s soccer team in Southwestern College history to end as champions.