IRVINE, Calif. – Women's soccer lost its first match of the calendar month in a 4-0 decision Saturday afternoon against CUI at Golden Eagles Field. Despite the scoreline, neither team had a surplus of chances across the full 90, with CUI leading 9-7 in shots and both teams registering four shots on goal. The Golden Eagles, however, were the more clinical and productive side, connecting on two corner kick goals and three second-half goals to mark the result. The Blue and Gold loses its seventh straight against CUI and drops to 5-6-1 and 3-2 in the Pacific West Conference. Concordia's win puts them one point ahead of VU in the table at 6-1-4, 3-0-1, while the Lions still own a game in hand.
What Happened? Concordia were the primary aggressors in the first half, with a 4-1 lead in shots, a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks, and an overall rhythm that kept VU pinned in their own half. The CUI wingbacks forced VU to play compact and opened the space for two back-to-back shots within the first 15 minutes, none of which went on target.
An effort from
Aneala Sibayan in the 30
th minute was the only Vanguard shot of the period, as the freshman tried her luck from distance, but could not get the venom behind the strike to test the Golden Eagle keeper. While Concordia controlled the half's pace, it seemed like VU's defensive shape was bound to dictate the approaching halftime stalemate, until the Lions finally leaked the opener with a minute left to play in the half.
CUI took an out swinging corner from the right corner flag, and the cross cracked off the head of Katelynn Welch to arrow toward the far post and secure a 1-0 Concordia score at the break.
Hunting for the equalizer, the Lions broke out of their defensive shell in the second half, leading CUI in shots 6-5, while placing four on frame. Their best work came in the first five minutes of the interval with a vivacious press keeping the game in Concordia territory.
Hailey Garvin was lively in midfield and won countless duels in her first start since mid-September. She helped win the ball high up the pitch to open a shot for
Kalena Yamashita in the 46
th minute. The left back's shot from distance racked up the power but not quite the placement to force the acrobatics out of the CUI goalkeeper.
Garvin was once more in the heat of the action just a minute later. This time, winning the scraps off a loose throw-in from the left side, cleverly turning with the ball and wheeling straight toward goal. The senior midfielder carried her dribble to the edge of the box, with a shot to the bottom left corner that skipped before being parried away by Christina Sidoti.
The Lions tried hitting the counterattack in the 50
th minute to finish their onslaught of early second-half chances. It was Sibayan who won the ball deep in midfield, and
Lindsey Hiraki who helped it past CUI's forward line to find Garvin lurking in support. Garvin lifted a through ball over the top and down the left wing for
Jennifer Alvarez, as the freshman cut inside and swept the strike bottom left, before it was badgered away from Sidoti.
VU's momentum was stifled with a CUI stunner to double their lead just a minute and a half later. The Golden Eagles worked the ball from the left to right wing with five passes, and a quick combination gave space for CUI's Sloane Torres. The left-footer took a try from the edge of the box, blasted a bullet over
Grayton Normand to the top right corner.
At 2-0 CUI, Vanguard crafted one last key chance to try and put themselves on the scoresheet. It started in the 54
th minute, when Abby Trujilo plucked the ball off a CUI defensive midfielder and turned to send a reverse ball in for Sibayan. Positioned near the center circle, Sibayan surveyed the narrow field of four Golden Eagles and slipped a well-placed ball through the line for Alvarez. The freshman forward found herself one-on-one, but for only a second, as her second touch just got away from her and Sidoti sprawled off her line to poke a kick save out of the path of the VU attacker.
The Golden Eagles scored the game's final two goals in minutes 62 and 85. Their third goal came from a lifted ball over the top from left back, punishing VU's high line and setting up an easy one-on-one finish for league-leading scorer Ashley Grubert.
CUI would score their last goal the same way they scored their first. It was an out-swinging corner kick the Golden Eagles recycled for a second look. The cross went to the back post, for a free header to close out VU's 4-0 defeat.
What's Next? VU will head up to NorCal for a two-game slate starting at Jessup, October 14 at 1 p.m.
