SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Vanguard traveled east of campus to take on the Firebirds of the University of Saint Katherine. The Lions dominated the point of attack, outshooting the opposition 13-1 on route to a 4-nil victory.
What Happened? Although they had numerous preseason games cancelled along the way, the Pride showed no signs of rust as they scored just eight minutes into the contest. Between the 30th and 39th minutes they would push to a 3-0 lead which they took into the halftime intermission. At the break the Lions were outshooting the Firebirds 7-1 and had drawn a 3-1 ratio in corner kicks. Vanguard did not let up in the final 45 minutes of play, as they held USK without a shot for the remainder of the contest. The final goal of the match was converted at the 78th minute mark on the connection from Austin Tubbs (SO/Long Beach, CA) and Alex Gonzalez (SO/Anaheim, CA).
Why It's Important? It had been 452 days since the Blue and Gold had laced up their boots to compete on the pitch. Today also marks the first time in Head Coach Randy Dodges' 19 season roaming the sideline where his squad has opened the season with a 4-0 victory. Last season the Pride captured a 4-0 win in their final non-conference match before GSAC play began.
Top Performers: Alex Penaloza (SR/Santa Ana, CA) captured a shutout victory, the first solo effort in his Vanguard career. Stewart Alvayero (SO/Los Angeles, CA) and Andrew Robles (JR/Tustin, CA) both fired off three shots, scoring one goal each in the process. Tubbs and Kade Mikkelsen (FR/Fullerton, CA) each netted their first goals for the Blue and Gold. Marc Trejo (JR/Santa Ana, CA), Jesse Gonzalez (SO/Fullerton, CA), Gonzalez, and Robles tallied assists in the match.
What They Said: Head Coach Randy Dodge – "For our first away game and starting seven new players, and not playing in a real game during the preseason, it was pretty solid. We had some great combination play sand we were good defensively. We have a long way to go, but it is a good foundation and our first win of the season in our first game so all positive. Now we see how our bodies respond on 48 hours recovery before our next game."
What's Next: Wednesday, February 17th against Providence Christian College at 3:00 p.m.
#ClawsUp
