COSTA MESA – Women's soccer took the Pacific West Conference opener over Westmont (1-4-2, 0-1) on Wednesday afternoon, winning 1-0 at VU Soccer Field. The scoreline didn't reflect the full 90 minutes, however, as the Blue and Gold posted 21 shots with 10 on target. The Warriors showed better form in the second half but managed only three total shots in the game and never bothered
Grayton Normand in goal. It's the lowest total shots conceded by VU since September 2023, and the first time they held a team to 0 shots on goal since August 2022.
The Blue and Gold win two straight to improve to 3-4-1 and 1-0 in league action. The result is also the second straight victory over the Warriors, which has only happened three times in the all-time series (34-11-4 WC). It's also the first Lion win in Costa Mesa against the Warriors in nearly eight years (10/6/18).
What Happened? Westmont took the first two shots of the match, with the first smothered by VU's defense to mark a corner kick and the second never reaching the Lion net. The efforts stood as the only WC shots of the period, and last time they managed to look dangerous in the first 45, as the home team dominated the game's flow from the first whistle.
Jennifer Alvarez and
Abby Trujillo were lively early, with Alvarez opening the Lions' first take on net in the 16
th minute.
Aneala Sibayan's introduction in the 19
th minute was when the Lions truly started to put their foot on the gas. The freshman pulled the strings with dynamic breaks at the tip of the midfield, feeding a free-flowing VU assault in Westmont territory.
Defender
Kalena Yamashita got involved from right back, slinking up the pitch during the Lions' buildup and leathering two shots from distance, both of which were held by WC's Ellie Ludwig in goal.
The senior keeper earned her keep in the last 10 minutes of the half, facing six Lion efforts and putting four of her eventual season-high nine stops on the board.
Kaylee Cuttress and
Vanessa Pastrana, who came on in the 30
th minute, molded a large part of the danger with a fresh VU striker partnership. Pastrana nearly made it two goals in two games, with a peeled run in front of WC center-half to receive a well-timed through ball from
Kaitlyn Currier. Pastrana accessed the area from the right side of the box, but the angle closed in on her as Ludwig covered the shot to the bottom left.
Cuttress and Pastrana combined a few minutes later with another chance, this time with Cuttress cutting in from the right wing and steering her driving advances toward goal. The transfer torched her shot near post, and a lurking Pastrana could not put Ludwig's parry back on frame.
The best chance of the half came for Cuttress with 40 minutes on the clock. Westmont gave the ball away in midfield to Cuttress, who started her move at half-field before sprinting down the right channel to connect on a one-two passing combination with Sibayan. The through ball into space left Cuttress one-on-one, but the Corona native could not help it past Ludwig, the ball bobbling with the turf as the near-post effort was pushed away for a corner kick.
The second half made for an interesting setup with VU owning the run of play but not having anything to show to for it. Westmont wouldn't get the chance to settle into new the period however, after Vanguard scored 10 minutes post-kickoff. The Lions had four shots before finding the back of the net, all of which were split between Trujillo and Alvarez.
The goal came after Westmont were punished in their buildup out of the back.
Kate Burns notched the ball high up the pitch and found Alvarez, who sliced a shot to the bottom right. The WC keeper stopped the first shot, but Alvarez picked up the second ball a few yards off the right side of the six-yard box. Met late by an onrushing Westmont defender, Alvarez rolled the ball from right to left boot, and hammered a left-footed finish to the top corner to snare her third career goal and second career-game winner.
VU would post a 12-1 shot advantage for the remainder of the match, but it didn't mean the Warriors were completely out for the count. WC switched things up with their center defensive midfield and cracked dangerous long balls through the wide channels to keep VU's midfield honest in what made for a tense closing 20 minutes.
Alvarez and Trujillo worked well to slow down the rhythm of the game in the last 10 minutes, and most importantly keep the WC center backs wary, as Trujillo proved a handful playing off the last shoulder. Westmont's only shot in the half was in the 60
th minute, when Ruby Stimer found room at left midfield to whip a shot from distance. VU owned the concluding five shots of the game to earn a win in the PacWest opener.
The Lions' 42 shots over the last two games are the largest haul in a two-game stretch since September 2023 for VU (43).
Alvarez and Cuttress had the game-highs with five shots each; Alvarez put four on target. Trujillo tallied four, while Pastrana, Sibayan, and Yamashita each had two.
Naia Kaulukukui was the last Lion to put a shot at full-time.
What Was Said? "The team has worked hard all year to prepare for conference play," shared Head Coach
Emily Reynolds. "We're proud of the strong start. On to the next."
What's Next? Lions continue a key conference home-stand with Hawaii Hilo on Monday, September 28 at 1:30 pm.
