LA VERNE, Calif. — Nathan Gonzalez did it again.

The junior forward weaved through practically the entire Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team to break a 1-1 tie in the 80th minute and gave the University of La Verne men's soccer team a 2-1 victory over the Stags on Saturday night at Ortmayer Stadium.

It was a thing of beauty.

Gonzalez got the ball just past the half line and proceeded to walk through the Stag's defense as if he had the ball tied to his bootlaces. He then finished the play off as he split two defenders and beat the CMS goalkeeper with his right foot.

Gonzalez made a similar play in La Verne's previous game against Cal Lutheran but the shot was blocked at the last minute.

"I told him just keep dribbling next time," La Verne head coach Trevor Persson said. "When you're in desperation mode as a defender, you turn your back, you dive and you slide, and Nate just had to cut once and he toe-poked it into lower right corner."

CMS struck first when Luc Stervinou pounced on a defensive lapse and converted a 1-on-1 opportunity.

But the Leopards struck back almost immediately. On the ensuing kickoff, Javier Jasso hoofed up a long ball to Auden Foxe, who was streaking into the box off the right wing. Foxe trapped it perfectly and was brought down harshly by Mehron Abdi to earn a penalty kick.

Foxe then called his own number and calmly put the spot kick into the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1.

"We have what we call a K.O.P.—a kickoff play," Persson said. "We had Fox streaking on the side, trying to catch the other side sleeping and we played a perfect ball over the top. We had a brilliant touch in the box and Audie played the into the middle and he was brought down from behind."

With the win, La Verne stays undefeated at 5-0-0 overall and 2-0-0 in SCIAC play. The Stags fall to 0-2-1 and 0-1-0.

La Verne returns to action on Wednesday when it travels to Los Angeles to take on Occidental. The kickoff is at 7 p.m.