With new opponents comes new opportunities, and The PacWest Conference is currently in the process of adding a trio of schools to its NCAA Division II group. The trio consists of Jessup University, Menlo College, and Vanguard University. One of these teams resides less than an hour south of Biola University. Vanguard University has begun its PacWest play this season, and the Biola Eagles will get their first look at the Vanguard Lions this weekend as both the men’s and women’s soccer teams face off against their respective opponents this coming Saturday at Al Barbour Field.
A GLIMPSE INTO A POTENTIAL RIVAL
Vanguard University, located in Costa Mesa, California, was founded in 1920 and is one of the closest schools to Biola in the PacWest conference. They, like Biola, are a private Christian university. These variables, compounded with their entry into PacWest competition, have opened the door for a potential budding rivalry. Two Christian schools within an hour of each other in southern California will certainly be on one another’s radars. But the imminent area of interest resides in the heated PacWest competition — specifically, the men’s soccer match coming up on Saturday, Oct. 26.
A TOP-TIER MATCHUP
Not only is this a matchup that could be the first chapter of a budding rivalry, but it has immediate implications for both teams in this year’s PacWest competition and the conference outlook as a whole.
Vanguard and Biola sit at third and fourth place in the 2024 NCAA II PacWest Standings for Men’s Soccer. Currently, Vanguard is 4-2-1 in conference and Biola is 4-2. That one draw gives Vanguard a narrow one-point advantage. Although Biola’s win percentage is mathematically better, they must beat Vanguard on Saturday to take third-place.
Both teams are playing their best at a crucial juncture in the season, having won three of their last four games played. Biola is coming off a convincing 2-0 win at home against Hawai’i Pacific, and Vanguard’s last performance was a 1-1 draw in a home game against Chaminade, so in terms of recent form, the advantage could lean in favor of the Eagles, but only slightly.
CRUNCH TIME
There are five games to go, and Biola has already improved since last season’s performance in the PacWest. With lofty expectations for this year’s team, Biola is looking toward the rest of the season with more hope than ever before. But to reach these big goals, key games must be won – this is one such game.
Two of this year’s best teams are head-to-head under the lights at Biola representing chapter one of a brewing rivalry. This is a benchmark game for the Eagles. It is the last home game of the season, and there is not much room for error this late in the season for teams aiming for the top. If the Eagles are going to get where they want to go, a win on Saturday night is a critical step.
