COSTA MESA -- Vanguard men's soccer is once again out in Lima, Ohio, with the Lions playing the first of two games on Thursday at the University of Northwestern Ohio.  VU and Cumberlands (Ky.) each received votes in the NAIA preseason poll and in the scorching heat, the two squads could not find much separation.  The sides ended up deadlocked after 90 minutes at 1-1, with each team netting nine shots apiece.  The Patriots go to 0-1-1 and the Lions will start 0-0-2 for the second-straight year.

What Happened?
Vanguard emerged as the better team early on and was able to capitalize on the first shot of the game.  A throw-in was played back to the defense and Cooper Clark bombed a long ball from his own end right to the top of the UC box.  The Patriot center backs fumbled the attempted clearance and the ball ricocheted towards their goalie.  Robert Ronco was able to slide in and poke the ball past the lunging UC keeper Pawel Wolny, slotting the ball into the net, giving Vanguard a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute.

The Patriots had their first shot of the game blocked in the 11th minute and Edwin Monterrosa made his first save in the 14th minute, as he came off his line to deny a wide-angle shot.  The Lions worked the ball immediately back up the field but the shot by Stewart Alvayero was saved off the hop by Wolny.  

The teams then settled in defensively, with the next wave of shots missing the target, but Cumberlands started to pick up the tempo as the first half wound down.  An exchange on the left side of the box allowed Patriot forward Jesus Macaya to drive the endline and hurl a cross back through the penalty area, with Salvador Martinez heading it home to make it 1-1.  

Tyler Redmon had the final shot of the half but it would be saved, leaving things knotted at 1-1 at the break.  The Patriots had a slim 5-4 edge in shots and also had the only corner kick of the frame.

The shot counter flipped over the course of the second 45, as VU outshot UC 5-4, but no one was able to find the back of the net.  The Patriots had back-to-back corner kicks to open the period but could not generate a chance.  Markus Garcia missed the first recorded shot of the half over the bar and Ronco had a shot saved smartly by Wolny in the 56th minute.  

Sidney Dina was fed a cross in the 77th minute but he could not direct the header towards the net.  The best chance for the Blue and Gold in the half came in the 82nd minute, as another Patriot miscue allowed a pass to be played into Ronco's feet again.  He drove at an angle through the box toward the goal but Wolny hugged the near-post and batted the ball away.  A shot by the Patriots with seven seconds left sailed high and the teams left the pitch at the final whistle with a 1-1 result.

UC had a 7-1 edge in corner kicks and Wolny made four saves to two for Monterrosa.  VU did have a 5-3 edge in shots on goal for the contest.  Alvayero and Ronco each had two shots to pace the lineup, with Lucah Flores and Redmon also getting shots on target.

What was Said? "We showed a lot of heart today," said Head Coach Jesus Miramontes.  "The weather and field conditions were tough. Cumberlands is very good and it took us a little while to figure it out.  This shows that we can play with the top teams across the nation.  We keep getting better every game and I'm excited about the future."

Why is it Important?  This was the first match against UC all-time.  The Lions have played at UNOH in 2021 and 2018, going 1-1 each year.

What's Next? VU will now face the hosting Racers of UNOH on Saturday at 8:00 a.m. PST.