COSTA MESA – A goal from midfielder Alyssa Fong (SO/Rescue, CA) in the 44th minute enabled Vanguard women's soccer to win its fourth straight game, blanking visiting William Jessup by a 1-0 score Thursday afternoon at VU Soccer Field.

VU improved to 6-2-2 on the season and moved to 2-0 in GSAC play. William Jessup fell to 2-5-1 and dropped to 0-2 in conference action.

What Happened?: Fong's game-winning strike from 20 yards out just inside the right post was her fourth career goal – and her second this season. Three of Fong's four goals have come against William Jessup. She scored a pair of goals against the Warriors last season in Rocklin.

The winning sequence occurred when Takara Kiesel (SO/Wailuku, HI) tucked a pass to Rachel Penick (FR/San Diego, CA), who was surrounded by three Warrior defenders. Penick turned and lofted the ball to Fong on her left. Off of one bounce, Fong chested the pass down and volleyed her shot past the diving Mya Rodriguez for the score.

"It feels really great. The whole team showed up and played so well against Jessup," said Fong. "It was a really great win for us and I can't wait to see what else we do in conference."

Penick's assist was her fourth of the season. The freshman midfielder has now recorded at least one point in four straight contests. She leads the Lions with 16 points on six goals and four assists. Penick ranks fourth among GSAC players in points.

The goal culminated a first half in which VU allowed William Jessup just one shot, which occurred 40 seconds into the match via Kaylee Gillespie. Gillespie, the leading scorer for the Warriors with six goals, finished the game with just two shots as the swarming VU defense corralled her.

VU outshot Jessup 6-1 in the first half.

Both teams opened up the field in the second half but the Warriors could not find the equalizer. Jordin Holmquist-Wilder (SO/Temecula, CA) made two of her three saves over the final 45 minutes to secure her fifth clean sheet of the season. The sophomore transfer stopped a dangerous opportunity from William Jessup's Tess Sando in the 83rd minute.

Vanguard finished the match with an 8-6 shots advantage. Jessup had the edge in corner kicks (4-1), and also had 18 fouls to VU's 11.

Why Is It Important?: The Lions start out 2-0 in the GSAC for the first time since 2019. VU also has its first four-match winning streak since 2019. VU has shut out its last three opponents and has not allowed a goal in the last 291 minutes.

What Was Said?: "Another tough GSAC match today, and it was great to walk away with the three points," said Head Coach Lauren Mascaro. "This team continues to prove their heart, their togetherness, and their grit through every tough situation they face. Alyssa took a beautiful service from Rachel and with great composure, found the back of the net just before half. From there, we just had to make sure we were locked in defensively and kept the pressure on. Jordin made a few amazing saves today to earn her third consecutive shutout."

What's Next?: The Lions host Menlo on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. for a VU Roar Game.