After a thrilling win in their senior game against San Diego Christian on Oct. 22, the Biola women’s soccer team took a tough loss to the Westmont Warriors last Saturday to bring their overall record to 12-4. This loss solidifies their fourth place ranking in the Golden State Athletic Conference.
The team remains strong, carried by the skill of players such as senior midfielders Amanda Lillicrop and Miranda Starbeck.
The efforts of this powerhouse duo often bring victory for the team. Lillicrop leads the squad with seven goals scored, seven assists and, incredibly, 24 shots on goal. Starbeck totaled 11 shots on goal and two game winning goals.
However, Lillicrop and Starbeck are not the only standouts, as the bench has a number of players ready to jump in at top level as soon as necessary. Freshman players like defender Brianna Mikalson, who has one assist, and forward Alexis Lee who has played in 12 games, bring a special level of excellence to the team.
“It’s been cool seeing a lot of the freshman get some playing time,” Lillicrop said. “One of our strengths this season has been our dynamic bench and being able to pull players off the bench and have them contribute still in a huge way.”
With a gifted squad, they have a good chance of beating William Jessup University again this Saturday. The last time the two teams met, the Eagles defeated the Warriors 3-2, with two goals from Lillicrop and one from sophomore forward Margaret Guadarrama.
This time the Eagles will have to prepare themselves to play on an unfamiliar field, as this marks the first year that Biola and William Jessup have met in conference play.
“In preparation for our game this coming Saturday, we are [working] harder than ever,” said freshman midfielder Janae Megorden. “We are looking forward to end[ing] [the] season with a bang to move into a good position in post season.”
CAMARADERIE IS KEY
While still hungry for more wins, the Eagles have also had the opportunity to look back on how the season has played out.
“We have been really cohesive. We really have a desire to play for each other and to build one another up on and off the field,” said Lillicrop.
With a just two losses in their first 13 games of the season, the team came out fighting. The Eagles attribute part of their success to the camaraderie they possess.
“We have been able to stand together in victory and defeat always returning to the field wanting more and wanting to do the best we could do every day we are out there,” Megorden said.
As they continue to pursue success at the end to their season, the team will face William Jessup in Rocklin, CA on Nov. 1 at 1:30 p.m.
