COSTA MESA -- Vanguard women's soccer opened the 2022 Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday against The Master's.  The Lions and the Mustangs produced a thrilling first half, with the score tied at 2-2 after 45 minutes of action.  The second half was more level but deep in the game, TMU got the goal that sent them to Santa Barbara, as the Mustangs won 3-2.  The Master's improve to 5-7-5 overall and the Lions will fall to 7-6-4.

What Happened?  The two sides tested each other early in the game but no cracks could be found in the defensive lines.  Just into the ninth minute, the Mustangs opened the offensive action by posting the first shot of the game but it missed high.  A slim 40 seconds later, the visitors put a slow roller on goal from deep, with Jordin Holmquist-Wilder (SO/Temecula, CA) making a very comfortable first save.  Despite the slow start, just shy of the 15th minute, the game went from interesting to absolutely captivating.  

Rachel Penick (FR/San Diego, CA) got the ball in the middle of the field and lofted it over the top of the defense.  TMU goalie Autumn Jensen hesitated before coming off her line, which allowed Kennedy Cypher (FR/Lake Tapps, WA) to beat the last defender and poke the ball past the goalie and into the net to make it 1-0 VU.  Her fourth goal of the year in the 15th minute gave the hosts a ton of energy, but things quickly reversed.  Hannah Burke made a fantastic individual effort, as she juked out a couple of defenders and beat Holmquist-Wilder in the 16th minute to make it 1-1.  The Master's did not waste a ton of time in taking the lead, as they jumped ahead 2-1 in the 19th minute.  The Lions had blocked an attempted cross and the ball rolled back toward the midfield stripe.  However, Ellie Radmilovich took one step and fired an absolute laser from 25-plus yards straight into the net to put TMU ahead.  From being ahead to playing from behind, VU regrouped and slowly picked up steam.  A shot by Penick was blocked in the 27th minute and Takara Kiesel (SO/Wailuku, HI) missed a shot high in the 28th minute.  Off the resulting goal kick, Jensen did not hit it that far, and it bounced off the back of one of her midfielders.  Penick found the loose change and made a quick pass to Alyssa Fong (SO/Rescue, CA), who took one step and lofted a deep shot over Jensen and into the net to make it 2-2, giving Fong three goals on the season.

The Mustangs almost took another lead in the 35th minute, as a corner kick was directed on goal, but Celeste Kiernan (JR/Las Vegas, NV) was standing by the post to keep it out.  But after that, neither side could create a defensive breakdown, and the teams went to halftime locked at 2-2.  TMU outshot the Lions 6-4 in the first frame and had a 3-2 edge in corner kicks. 

The encore was not as dynamic as the first period, as both sides had learned their lessons and worked much better as defensive units.  However, VU went almost went ahead in the 56th minute.  Penick slipped through on the far side of the field and worked across the top of the box.  Creating a window, she fired a scorching shot, but it hit the crossbar.  Fong arrived in the box to get the rebound and she stooped low to put the header on target.  But it had too much lift and the ball thudded off the crossbar again, as the iron denied two superb opportunities for the Blue and Gold.  

The game continued to be a defensive battle and neither goalie had to make a big save as the minutes went by.  The game felt like it was going to overtime, but it was not to be.  TMU got a corner kick and it was dropped into the box in the 83rd minute.  Holmquist-Wilder came out to punch it away and made one stop in the process, but in the scrum, she fell down.  Burke was the beneficiary, as she was able to take the loose ball and poke it into the empty net to put The Master's ahead. Vanguard had only one shot over the final seven minutes of the contest, as Madelyn Diaz (SR/San Clemente, CA) tried a deep-range effort, but it was plucked from the sky by Jensen.  The Mustangs ran out the clock and picked up the 3-2 win to advance and take on Westmont next Thursday.

Vanguard outshot TMU 13-10 but the Mustangs had a 6-5 advantage in shots on goal.  The visitors also had a 5-4 edge in corner kicks.  Holmquist-Wilder made two saves on the day.  Penick had five shots to lead the team, with Fong next with three.  Diaz and Cypher each had two shots.

What was Said?  "This is a special group of seniors and their presence will be greatly missed on and off the field," said Head Coach Lauren Mascaro.  "Thank you to Madison Anderson (SR/Riverside, CA), Diaz, Jillian Juarez (SR/Glendora, CA), Maddy Thompson (SR/Aliso Viejo, CA), and Payton Siurek (SR/Temecula, CA) for how they have positively impacted our program during their careers.  I am proud of everything they've done and can't wait to see how they will impact the Kingdom."