California Baptist University
Vanguard University (Calif.)
LIONS CAGE LANCERS
10/17/2007 7:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Box Score
COSTA MESA, Calif. --- Set pieces and playing on the road haven't proven to be California Baptist's cup of tea this year, and both did the Lancers in Wednesday night.
Vanguard scored an eighth minute goal off a corner kick and then in the waning minutes used a little bit of luck and a little bit of goalkeeping to preserve a 1-0 victory over CBU, handing the Lancers their third straight road setback.
The loss is the Lancers' fourth in a row overall, the first three of which came to nationally-ranked teams, as they fall to 6-7-1 overall, 2-5 (6 points) GSAC. Meanwhile, the Lions, who were nationally-ranked themselves earlier this season, improve to 8-5, 3-4 (9 points).
CBU's road woes continue as it drops to 3-5 away from Lancer Field this year with its last road win coming more than a month ago, a 6-0 win at, of all places, neighboring La Sierra Sept. 15 in Riverside.
In the eighth minute, the Lions took their lone corner kick of the half and converted when Scott Falkner buried Tom Culver's service past Jeff Redinger, who started in place of an injured Adam Kramer, and into the net for what turned out to be the game's only goal. It came on the first shot of the game.
Just three of the game's 16 combined shots were on frame the entire night. The Lancers out-shot the Lions, 9-7, but were only able to muster one shot on goal. Vanguard had two shots on goal, both in the first half.
CBU pushed forward in the second half in search of the equalizer and generated seven of its nine shots. They nearly found it, and if the goal were 24 feet-one inch wide instead of just 24 feet, they may have had it. Manny Ruiz-Esparza's rifle in the 88th minute banged off the inside of the far post and went across the goal line before being cleared from danger.
Then, with just one second on the clock, Cesar Nava nearly became a hero when he settled a ball with his chest at the top of the box and then ripped a volley on frame. Vanguard keeper Trevor Herrera, though, made his only save of the night an impressive one to preserve the win as time expired.
