COSTA MESA -- Vanguard women's soccer returned home and took on Simon Fraser out of British Columbia on Thursday afternoon, but could end right the ship after the defeat last Saturday. The Red Leafs, in their final NCAA campaign, scored twice in the first half and answered VU's lone effort to take the match 3-1. SFU improved to 2-1, while VU dropped to 1-4.
What Happened? The opening strike came in the fifth minute, as Alyssa Clark lofted her corner kick with the right bend to sneak over the glove of
Grayton Normand to give the visitors the lead. SFU continued to play with a driving purpose, as the Red Leafs launched five shots over the next seven minutes, though none forced Normand to make a stop. The Lions had attempts from
Jennifer Alvarez and
Naia Kaulukukui over the first 25 minutes, but both long-range bouncers were easily stopped.
The tide seemed to turn after the first-half water break, and the addition of
Megan Charley, who delivered timely runs from the left side that allowed her to get in some good crosses.
Kaylee Cuttress had three shots over 15 minutes that forced two SFU saves, while
Mia Ochoa also forced Sofia Piperni to make a save.
While the Blue and Gold made some good tactical discoveries, the Red Leafs negated most of those gains by going ahead 2-0 in the 43rd minute. Each team had nine shots in the first interval.
The Lions did not generate any shots early in the new frame, but their first was their best.
Kaitlyn Currier's tidy delivery from the corner flag allowed Burns to win a contested header for her first goal of the season in the 68th minute, giving the squad a much-needed answer. Unfortunately, SFU allowed the Blue and Gold only one shot after that, and the visitors secured the win with the final goal of the match in the 72nd minute.
SFU had a 17-11 edge in shots in the game, though VU led in shots on goal 7-3. Cuttress had three of the team's shots, and Alvarez had two.
What's Next? VU heads to CSULA for a 7:00 p.m. match on Saturday.
