COSTA MESA, Calif. – Austin Tubbs (JR/Long Beach, CA) provided all the scoring Vanguard needed to defeat Menlo, 1-0, in the championship game of the Golden State Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Tournament on Saturday at the VU Soccer Complex.
Tubbs deposited his third goal of the season in the eighth minute and the stout Lion defense limited the Oaks to just six shots. The top-seeded Lions won their first conference tournament title since 2014. They are headed to the NAIA Opening Round next week, when they will host three other teams at the VU Soccer Complex.
Vanguard has won nine in a row, including an incredible seven straight by shutout. The Lions remain No. 1 in the country in fewest goals allowed (6) and goals against average (0.34). The last time VU yielded a goal occurred over a month ago, on Oct. 7 against Arizona Christian.
The Lions improved to 14-3-1 on the year. They find out their seed and NAIA Opening Round opponent on Monday, Nov. 14 at 10:00 a.m. PT live on the NAIA's Facebook page. Third-seeded Menlo's season ended at 10-8-0.
What Happened?: Hustle led to the Vanguard goal at the 7:46 mark. Menlo's Matthew Cunningham played a ball back to his goalkeeper, Nico Feusi, but Oscar Salas (SR/Santa Ana, CA) charged at Feusi and deflected his clearance attempt. The ball bounced free as Salas tapped it to Stewart Alvayero (JR/Los Angeles, CA), who unleashed a hard shot that was blocked. On the rebound, Tubbs settled the ball, took one touch to his left, and ripped a left-footed bullet into the lower right corner. Alvayero was credited with his second assist of the season as the Lions led 1-0.
The Lions limited the Oaks to just one shot in the first period, an attempt from Caden Mink that goalie James Choi (SR/Irvine, CA) stopped without any trouble in the 10th minute.
Menlo attempted to get the equalizer in the second half, outshooting the Lions 5-4. However, two Oaks were sent off on red cards as Levin Ledergerber was ejected in the 52nd minute while Yuki Enomoto was escorted off in the 73rd.
The two-man disadvantage played right into Vanguard's hands although the Oaks managed to get off three more shots the rest of the way.
Andrew Robles (SR/Tustin, CA) nearly provided Vanguard a two-goal advantage as his free kick in the 88th minute ricocheted off the top of the crossbar.
Choi and Feusi both made two saves.
Why Is It Important?: Vanguard's nine-match win streak is its longest since reeling off 13 in a row during the 2017 season. The Lions have gone 694 straight minutes without allowing a goal.
What Was Said?: "I'm super excited for the boys. We're super young. That's what people don't realize," said Head Coach Randy Dodge. "Who knows what can happen? We want a chance to get ourselves to the final site, and from there anything can happen. We didn't play well and still found a way to win in the semis and even today. For us playing at home is a great thing. We just have to play better to give ourselves a chance."
What's Next?: The two NAIA Opening Round games on Thursday, Nov. 18 will be played at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
