With back-to-back 1-0 victories against the No. 11 Vanguard University of Southern California Lions and the No. 4 Westmont College Warriors, the women’s soccer team remains undefeated and improved to a 10-0-1 overall record. Their 4-0-1 record puts them four points over Vanguard for first place in the Golden State Athletic Conference.
Confidence and Momentum
“Our undefeated season has given us so much confidence and momentum going into the Westmont game,” said junior defender Bri Mikalson. “Beating Cal Baptist, who we will play next year in NCAA Div. II, and Vanguard, who we hadn’t beaten in six years, were huge confidence boosts.”
Unlike the Eagles’ match against the Warriors, Biola scored within the first 20 minutes of the game against Vanguard. Mikalson put the Eagles ahead with her second goal of the season at 16:51. It proved enough for Biola to outlast their opponent’s seven shots.
“I think the first half of the Vanguard game was the best soccer we have played all season,” Mikalson said. “We were successful in maintaining possession, creating plenty of scoring opportunities and defending with all eleven players to prevent their attacks.”
Prolonged Victory
Although their match against the Warriors finished with the same score, both teams remained scoreless through regulation. Through the first 90 minutes, the Eagles took nine shots — four in the first and five in the second. Meanwhile, Biola’s defense withstood Westmont’s steady offense, which made nine shots in the first period and six in the second.
It did not take long for the Eagles to win the game in overtime off an error made by the Warriors. With an own goal from the Warriors at 92:44, the Eagles won 1-0, which knocked Westmont down to a 2-2 conference record and gave Biola sole possession of first place in GSAC.
“The most important thing is to stay focused. We set goals last spring, such as winning the GSAC and National tournaments,” Mikalson said. “We need to remember that this is our last season in the NAIA, so we need to enter the NCAA with those achievements for our confidence.”
Biola’s win over Westmont marked the second time the Eagles beat the Warriors on the road since 2005. In addition, it was their first victory over a top-five ranked program since they beat Azusa Pacific University on Oct. 15, 2011.
The Eagles continue with the middle game of their road trip against the San Diego Christian College Hawks on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 1:30 p.m.
