COSTA MESA – Vanguard men's soccer squared off against the Menlo College Oaks on Thursday afternoon in a dual of two teams receiving votes in the latest NAIA coaches' poll.  The programs seem to draw out the best of each other, as the past five matches have been decided by one goal or ended in a draw.  The Oaks struck first on Thursday and the Lions responded, but a goal by MC in the 83rd minute gave the Oaks their first victory over Vanguard in the past five games.  Menlo improves to 7-0-5 overall and 4-0-1 in the Golden State Athletic Conference with the 2-1 decision, and the Lions fall to 7-2-4 overall and 3-1 in the GSAC.
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What Happened?  Austin Tubbs flicked a header over the bar in the 14th minute to open the offensive action in the contest and the Lions would generate a few more chances as the opening phase of the game developed.  Stewart Alvayero had a shot blocked in the 17th minute and Tubbs again got a header off at the goal a minute later, but Jo Krumsvik made the stop for the Oaks.  As the half moved along, Menlo slowly gained more time on the ball and kept the VU offense at bay.  The pressure soon moved towards the Vanguard end and though the Oaks only had four shots in the half, they had the only one that mattered. Roy Rosenberg drove down the left side of the box and unleashed a surprising shot that beat Edwin Monterrosa in the 39th minute.  The Oaks had another shot as the half ended that missed high, but the guests happily took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
 
Vanguard outshot the Oaks 7-4 in the first frame and held a 4-1 edge in corner kicks. 
 
The second period saw MC continue to pressure the Blue and Gold and the visitors collected the first three shots of the half, though Monterrosa made two stops to keep it 1-0.  Down but not out, the Lions were able to stem the tide and raise the tempo of their play.  A good strike by Robert Ronco was batted away by Krumsvik in the 55th minute and VU would follow with some good spells of possession, holding the Oaks to one shot over the next 20 minutes.
 
The turning of the screw allowed the Lions to work an equalizer right on the dot of the 71st minute.  A foul gave the Lions a free kick near the midway stripe.  Edwin Gonzalez launched a deep ball into the box and a friendly bounce allowed Tubbs to tuck it in behind Krumsvik to level the score at 1-1.
 
The tension remained high the rest of the way and the foul count increased, with plenty of appeals to the referee to intervene on each team's behalf.  But as the clock hit 10 minutes to go, the Oaks found a way to secure the win.  A throw-in was then whipped into the box and Mattia Celant thrashed it past Monterrosa to put the Oaks ahead 2-1.  The Lions had a corner kick in the 86th minute but could not generate a scoring chance and the Oaks controlled possession the rest of the way and held on for the 2-1 victory.
 
The Oaks held a 13-9 edge in shots and an 8-4 lead in shots on goal.  VU had an 8-4 advantage in corner kicks.  Monterrosa made six saves and Tubbs led the way for VU with four shots, three on goal.  Alvayero had three shots and Ronco had the other two.
 
Why is it Important?  The Lions remain second in the standings and are now tied with Hope International at 3-1 in GSAC play, though VU owns the tie-breaker.  Three games remain in the regular season and VU will need two good results to ensure a first-round bye in the GSAC Tournament, as The Master's and Jessup linger right behind VU at 2-1-1.
 
What's Next?  The Lions will celebrate the seniors before taking on Jessup on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. on the VU Soccer Field.