ATHERTON, Calif. – Make it two tournament titles in a row for the Vanguard University men's soccer team in the Golden State Athletic Conference! The Lions repeated as the GSAC Champions on Saturday, as the team defeated OUAZ, 2-0. Goals from Aidan Doherty (SO/Huntington Beach, CA) and Robert Ronco (FR/San Diego, CA) in the second half secured the championship for VU, as the program won its fourth tournament title. Vanguard now receives an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship as moves to 11-3-3 overall. OUAZ drops to 12-6-2.
What Happened?
The game opened with two fouls on each team but Vanguard had the first shot of the contest, with Markus Garcia (JR/Corona, CA) just sending his header wide of the net in the 8th minute. The next 10 minutes saw both sides trying to break each other's tactical enigmas, but both defenses were up to the task. Despite holding the fort, the Lions did give up a pair of chances in the 21st minute, with the initial header blocked and the follow-up shot missing wide. Vanguard continued to work together as a unit and found a path forward for Nathaniel Gomez (JR/Dominguez, CA), who tried a shot in the 23rd minute, only to have it blocked.
Stewart Alvayero (SR/Los Angeles, CA) had a chance in the 30th minute but he powered his shot over the bar. Each side tried to make gains in the midfield, but the going was slow. Edwin Monterrosa (FR/Los Angeles, CA) made his first save in the 35th minute, and his OUAZ counterpart Adam Salama made his first stop in the 42nd minute off a shot by Joey Barry. VU had two more chances before the half expired, but Tyler Redmon's (FR/La Verne, CA) shot was blocked and Doherty sent his rebound effort over the net. After 45 minutes, both sides remained locked in a scoreless draw. VU did outshoot OUAZ 7-3 in the half, but both goalies did not have to make any challenging saves in the period.
The second half saw each team collect six shots, but Vanguard's quality proved to be the difference. Alvayero opened the frame with a scorching shot in the 47th minute, but Salama made the save by pushing it around the net. The Blue and Gold delivered a couple of corner kicks over the next few minutes, with Garcia getting a headed attempt on the second CK, but the ball missed wide of the post. Alvayero had another shot blocked just past the hour mark, but after an offside by the Spirit, the Lions found the breakthrough. A foul by OUAZ just outside of their box gave the Lions a free kick on the far side of the field. The wall denied the first cross and another Lion tried to volley it into the net, but it too was blocked. However, the ball bounced to Doherty, who put his left foot through it and lined the ball into the top corner of the net to put Vanguard ahead 1-0 in the 62nd minute.
Most coaches warn that the most dangerous time defensively is right after a score, and Monterrosa had to make a save quickly after the restart, as he denied OUAZ the equalizer. The Spirit earned a corner kick off that attempt and the cross was good, allowing a header to reach Monterrosa, but he was able to hold onto the ball and keep the Spirit off the board. OUAZ continued to force the issue, as the Spirit looked like they would score a goal over the next 10 minutes. Despite being under heavy fire, the Vanguard defense held the line and denied the Spirit any opportunities off of three corner kicks between the 65th and 71st minutes.
OUAZ pressed more bodies forward, but a corner kick in the 76th minute proved fruitless, and a shot by Thomas Monayer was sent wide in the 77th minute. The Lions were holding on, but with OUAZ becoming more desperate to score a goal, there were gaps to expose, and Vanguard was able to smash through those openings in the 83rd minute.
A free kick from Andrew Robles (SR/Tustin, CA) started the attack, as he connected with Barry towards the near-corner flag in the attacking end. Barry's cross went through the box, but no one could slot it home. Despite the missed opportunity, Gomez recovered the ball on the opposite side and flicked another cross back into the fray. This time, Ronco was left unmarked in the six-yard box, and he slapped the header down and into the net to double the lead in the 83rd minute.
OUAZ did not want to die on the vine and responded by sending in a voracious attack. Vanguard blocked the next attempt at goal and Monterrosa made another save in the 86th minute. Two corner kicks for the Spirit in close order were foiled by the Lions, with the game's final shot going wide in the 89th minute. The clock expired and the Lions stormed the field to claim a second consecutive GSAC Tournament title.
The Lions outshot the Spirit 13-9 for the game and had a slim edge in shots on goal at 5-4. OUAZ had an advantage in corner kicks at 8-3, and the foul count was almost even, with Vanguard committing 18 and the Spirit 17. Alvayero led the team and tied for a match-high four shots, leading all players with two shots on target. Doherty and Garcia each had two shots. Monterrosa had four saves to help make the victory a shutout.
What was Said? "We played with courage today," said Head Coach Jesus Miramontes. "The depth that we have gives us a ton of firepower from different players. We scored some great goals and defended the way we know how. This team is ready for the National Tournament."
What's Next? The Lions are now in the NAIA Tournament and will find out where they go and who their opening round opponent will be Monday morning at 10:00 a.m. PT.
