SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Golden State Athletic Conference play began after a very short preseason for the Vanguard women's soccer program. On the road at Westmont (1-2,1-0), the Lions (2-1,0-1) were defeated by a 2-0 score.
What Happened? In the opening few minutes of the game, the Blue and Gold drew a corner kick which was lofted nicely by Allie Griffiths (SR/Aliso Viejo, CA). After initially appearing like a goal fr the Lions, it was said it to not fully cross the line. After dominating the first few minutes of the game with a 5-1 shot advantage, the Pride had nothing to show for it. They continued to stare off the edge of the cliff as Haley Magana (SR/Los Alamitos, CA) stopped a penalty kick attempt in the 12th minute. Westmont broke the nil-nil score in the 33rd minute and rode the 1-0 advantage into halftime. Both teams took five shots each leading up to the second Warriors goal at 70:38, which proved to be too much for the Lions to overcome.
Why It's Important? The four-time reigning conference champions are dealt an opening game blow in the unique season. With no conference tournament coming up and only five more contests, the runway is short to make up ground. They will have another crack at the Warriors at home on March 18th.
Top Performers: Magana and her counterpart Gabi Haw each had four saves in the game. Ayanna Suarez (SR/Indio, CA) took a team high five shots with Madeline Diaz putting two of her four shots on frame. Westmont outshot Vanguard 18-11 while the Pride tallied one extra corner kick.
What They Said: Head Coach Lauren Mascaro - "Despite not getting the win, there were some really bright spots on the day. Our work rate and the pressure we put on Westmont were the best we've shown this year. With each game we play, we continue to shake off some of the cobwebs of having a year off and I'm really excited for what we're capable of."
What's Next: Thursday, March 4th against San Diego Christian at 12:00 p.m.
#ClawsUp
