“We worked hard,” junior defender Caitlin Peterson said Tuesday after her team received their first lost of the season in Riverside against NAIA’s No. 1-ranked California Baptist University.
Although Biola’s four-game winning streak at home came to a halt, the Eagles are still off to an impressive start. On Saturday, the Eagles won their first Golden State Athletic Conference game versus San Diego Christian.
Biola and CBU tied the last time they met, but this season’s first loss of 2-0 did not put a damper on the team’s hopes for a postseason berth. Nonetheless, much of Tuesday’s game was dominated by CBU’s offense as they out-shot the Eagle’s 20-2.
Biola’s goalkeeper, Erin Frushon, had a busy day as she made a noteworthy nine saves. However, this was not enough as The Lancers of CBU unsurprisingly found the back of the net on two occasions.
The first goal came in the 16th minute by freshman Eva Solis.It was her third goal of the season. A corner kick gave Solis the opportunity to kick in a loose ball that was headed by her teammate.
She was not finished. As the first half was winding down Solis attacked and kicked it to a her teammate for the second goal of the game. The Lancers were in great shape after this and continued to push the ball towards, around, and pass Eagle defenders.
“Its always disappointing to lose, even to teams ranked higher than we are,” said Peterson. “[We] knew it was going to be a tough game coming into it, but we always come out and try to win every game.”
Last week, the Eagles experienced a different outcome in their first GSAC game. Biola’s own freshman, Natalie Oliver, scored her first collegiate goal in her first start of the season. Her team’s first goal in GSAC came about after a missed goal attempt by junior Sam Davis in the 17th minute.
Before the start of the game, fellow teammate and freshman, Erica Crawford, said a prayer to calm Oliver’s nerves. The game was a huge moment in Oliver’s soccer career as she went against familiar players and saw familiar faces.
Oliver recently graduated from Christian high which was on the same campus of Her opponent, San Diego Christian College.
“I remember before the whistle blowing thinking how cool it would be if I scored the first goal,” she said. “When it actually happened I couldn’t believe it.”
The Eagles defense did an incredible job stopping pressure throughout the game. Also, offense picked up a needed insurance goal within minutes of the second half putting the final score at 2-0.
“As far as the outcome of the game, I am thrilled to have won. I think this game was just one step closer to the final goal of playoffs and a learning tool for our games to come,” said Oliver.
So far, Biola’s current GSAC record is 1-1-0, and their overall record is 4-1-1. They will host a non-conference match this Friday as they play Cal Sate San Marcos whom have a current record of 3-3-3.
