Biola women’s soccer had a bit of soul searching to do following their loss against Marymount College, the first loss of the season.
FIGHT FOR EVERY GAME
“We understood after our loss that we have to come out strong and fight for every game, even if it ‘doesn’t count’ because it’s not a conference game,” said Taylor Venegas, junior forward. “Every game matters and we just needed to have that mindset.”
The Eagles took that lesson to heart this past week and got right back on track, earning victories against William Jessup University (1-0), Menlo College (1-0) and San Diego Christian University (4-2). These wins move Biola to 4-0-2 in Golden State Athletic Conference play and 10-1-3 overall.
NOT PURE DEFENSE
The first game of the week was against the William Jessup Warriors on Thursday. The score was decided in the first four minutes of the game, as a ricochet off a Jessup defender resulted in an own goal – and the only point of the match.
The rest of the game was not pure defense, however, as Biola took 19 shots, their second highest total on the season. 10 of those shots were on target, forcing Jessup’s goalkeeper to make nine saves, compared to only seven shots by the Warriors, three of which were on target and were stopped by Biola’s senior goalkeeper, Marina Rodriguez.
Biola then matched up against the Menlo College Oaks on Saturday, and the Eagles avenged themselves from the 1-1 draw with the Oaks on Sept. 22 by coming up with the 1-0 victory. Sophomore Samantha Verduzco scored the only goal of the afternoon, dribbling it through the Oaks’ defense and burying it in the net. In another high volume offensive showing, where eight of the 18 shots Biola took were on goal, the score again showed a low total. Biola’s defense had a relatively easy night, as Rodriguez only had to stop two balls the whole afternoon.
A DETERMINED TEAM
The final match of the week took place on Tuesday, and Biola lined up against the San Diego Christian Hawks. Biola beat the Hawks 4-0 the last time these teams met, and looked to get the victory again. The Hawks drew first blood however, as senior midfielder Shayna Peterson-Burman scored two goals in the first half that Biola did not have a response for until the second half. Just a few minutes into the second half, Venegas responded with two goals of her own to equalize the score. Then, in the 71st minute, sophomore Ashley Ramirez scored the go-ahead goal, which was followed closely by a goal from senior Brittney Sayre, putting the game out of reach.
“We are a very determined team,” Venegas said. “We refuse to lose.”
The Eagles next match is senior night against the Hope International University Royals on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.
