COSTA MESA – Vanguard women's soccer squared off against #16 Westmont Thursday in a rivalry game on the VU soccer field.  The Lions had some good possession and at times could push the Warriors, but WC emerged with a 3-1 victory at full-time.  Vanguard falls to 7-5-2 overall and 3-3 in conference play, while Westmont goes to 9-0-3 overall and 4-0-1 in GSAC play.

What Happened?  The Blue and Gold had some confident moments to open the half, as the team largely held the ball for the first five minutes of action.  Kennedy Cypher (FR/Lake Tapps, WA) benefited from this, as she found a small window and launched the first shot of the game, only to see it go wide of the net.  VU continued to look smart on the ball but the next 10 minutes would end up being decisive.  Westmont broke through with two goals in just under three minutes, with a defensive breakdown leading Amelia Villa in on goal alone to make it 1-0 in the eighth minute.  The Warriors then had a free kick in the 10th minute and the visitors ran a perfect set-piece play like it was practice. Karly Kingsley ran an end-around, got a lovely feed, and blasted her shot past Jordin Holmquist-Wilder (SO/Temecula, CA) for the second Westmont goal in the 11th minute.

Vanguard was able to wrestle the game back to a more neutral disposition after that and almost scored a few minutes later.  A foul gave a free kick to VU and Alyssa Fong (SO/Rescue, CA) stepped up to take the straight-away attempt from inside 20-yards.  She lifted her shot over the wall but it kept rising, as the ball smacked and then rolled over the crossbar in the 18th minute.  The Lions had a couple of corner kicks as the half went along but could not get a shot from them, as Westmont dealt with the chances as they came.  The teams exchanged dominant spells on the ball but no other goals came and at halftime, Westmont led 2-0.  WC had a 3-2 edge in shots and Vanguard held a 2-0 lead in corner kicks.

The Lions were under siege to start the second period, as Westmont came out hungry for a third goal.  The Warriors got their first corner kick of the game five minutes in and put up the first two shots of the half as well.  Vanguard tried to relieve the pressure but it went awry in the 57th minute.  A clearance did not go as planned and Westmont made a trio of passes that set up Katie DeMillo all alone at the top of the box.  She put her shot in past Holmquist-Wilder to make it 3-0, which would be enough for Westmont on this day.

Vanguard changed its formation in response and pushed numbers forward, which would give the team some success moving up the field as the half progressed.  The effort would be rewarded in the 63rd minute, as Takara Kiesel (SO/Wailuku, HI) brought down a flick from Rachel Penick (FR/San Diego, CA) and slammed it into the net to make it 3-1.  VU would have a few more shots the rest of the way but nothing challenged the Warrior goalie, as Westmont rode out the game to claim the 3-1 victory.

Vanguard was outshot 11-9 for the day and 7-2 in shots on goal  The Lions had a 4-2 edge in corner kicks and Westmont had 13 fouls to six for Vanguard.  Penick and Cypher each had three shots to lead the team, with Fong next with two.  Holmquist-Wilder had four saves in the game.

What was Said?  "Obviously, we ended up on the wrong side of the result today," said Head Coach Lauren Mascaro.  "But I felt like our possession today was actually quality.  We moved the ball well and created chances, especially in the second half.  Westmont did well to capitalize on their chances in the first half and it's always an uphill battle to chase a game against a quality side like WC."

Why is it Important? Westmont claims the final GSAC game in program history, with the Warriors set to move up to the NCAA next year.  The series tally now favors WC 33-9-5.  Menlo picked up a win today as well, as the Oaks moved into third place today, pushing VU to fourth.

What's Next?  Senior day will see the Lions take on The Master's Mustangs at noon on Saturday.