Santa Barbara, Calif. -- Vanguard Men's soccer almost went a full 110 minutes against Westmont on Saturday, but some determined play and a little bit of luck saw the Lions score an overtime winner against the Warriors in the 104th minute. Austin Tubbs (JR/Long Beach, CA) scored the deciding goal to become the hero, as his second goal of the year gave Vanguard a 2-1 victory that pushes the team to 5-3-1 overall and 1-1 in the Golden State Athletic Conference
What Happened? The Lions renewed their rivalry with the Warriors on the hot Saturday afternoon but had to play defense over the first 15 minutes as the hosts peppered the VU goal. WC had five shots in a flurry of offensive action in the ninth minute, but Vanguard was able to block each one. However, the ball emerged out of the chaos for Westmont's Samuel Tuscano, who scored to put the Warriors up 1-0.
Despite being down early, the Lions got back on their feet and soon were moving up the pitch with positive movement. Christopher Sanchez (FR/Santa Ana, CA) got the first shot away for the Blue and Gold, though it missed high. Oscar Salas (SR/Santa Ana, CA) had a narrow opening that he tried to get a shot through in the 24th minute, but a Westmont defender kicked a leg out to stop the shot before the ball could reach the goal.
Vanguard then found the equalizer in the 25th minute after a shot from Stewart Alvayero (JR/Los Angeles, CA) was blocked by a WC player. The ball rebounded right back to Alvayero, who quickly slid it into the empty part of the goal for his sixth tally of the season. With the game tied at 1-1, the Lions had another good spell of possession just past the 30th minute, with Marc Trejo (SR/Santa Ana, CA) hitting the crossbar and Alvayero getting another shot blocked. Andrew Robles (SR/Tustin, CA) then put a good effort on goal off of a corner kick but another Warrior got in the way to deny Robles the go-ahead goal. Nathaniel Gomez (SO/Dominguez, CA) got a good pass that led him in on goal in the 44th minute but Westmont goalie Mans Ingvarson made the stop to keep things knotted at 1-1, which would be the score as both sides retired for halftime.
The Warriors had a slim 10-9 edge in shots after the 45 minutes, with the Lions holding a 2-1 lead in corner kicks. With the game well in the balance, both sides set out for the second half.
The Blue and Gold had another shot from Alvayero miss high in the 54th minute, as VU pressed the Warriors early. James Choi (SR/Irvine, CA) made a good stop in the 58th minute to keep the score level, the only save he would make in regulation. Ingvarson made two more saves for Westmont just past the hour mark, denying Salas and Mario Gonzalez (JR/Anaheim, CA). VU was able to keep possession and create some chances, but the shots that managed to get through the determined blocking efforts of the Westmont team missed the target. Outshooting the Warriors 6-2 in the second half, the Lions could not find a goal and so the teams took a short break before the commencement of overtime.
Vanguard looked sharp at the start of the extra frame, as Alvayero got a shot away just a couple of minutes in, but the Warriors blocked the chance. A foul on Vanguard allowed Westmont to play in a ball that was headed in at goal, but Choi snagged the ball to keep the game going. The VU keeper quickly got the counter-attack going and after some quick passes, got the ball up the field. The service to Tubbs was spot-on, as he brought the ball down and blasted it in to give the Lions a 2-1 victory in the 104th minute.
VU led the Warriors in both shots (18-14), shots on goal (6-3), and corner kicks (4-3). Alvayero paced the lineup with six shots, while Salas and Robles each had three. Choi made two saves on the three shots he faced.
Why is it Important? The Lions snap a three-game losing streak to the Warriors, having last won in 2018. The win also is huge in GSAC action, as it puts the Lions in a tie with four other teams for second place behind Arizona Christian.
What was said? "It's been a long journey coming to Santa Barbara and getting a good result," said Head Coach Randy Dodge. "We played very well the whole game and created a lot of opportunities. I'm proud of the guys persevering through a lot of adversity. Now this young group has to refocus and prepare for the Arizona schools coming this week."
What's next? Vanguard has the next two GSAC dates at home, with Ottawa University of Arizona up first on Thursday, October 7th, at 4:00 p.m.
