California Baptist University
Vanguard University (Calif.)
WILD, WILD WIN
10/21/2008 7:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- Typically, a four-goal day will let teams cruise in for a win, get everyone into the game and look pretty good on the stat sheet.
For some reason, though, Tuesday wasn't a typical day.
Playing in 90-degree heat in the middle of October, which isn't typical in and of itself, California Baptist University built up a two-goal lead and then held on for what turned out to be a wild and not-so-typical 4-3 GSAC win over Vanguard. The teams combined for six second-half goals.
In the two previous games against the Lions, the Lancers didn't score against Vanguard, much less beat them. Last year, the Lions defeated CBU, 1-0, in the regular season and then the teams played to a scoreless draw in the opening round of the regional semifinals. The Lancers eventually advanced on penalty kicks, but the result officially went down as a tie. This is a different year, though, and not only did they finally figure out a way to beat the Lions, but the NAIA's No. 6-ranked Lancers continued their offensive onslaught in the process. Fortunately for them, though, the Lions' offensive onslaught of their own fell one goal short.
The win is the Lancers' third straight as they improve to 12-3-0 overall, 6-1-0 (18 points) GSAC. Coupled with Saturday's 7-2 win at Fresno Pacific, they have combined to score 11 goals the past two games.
Vanguard drops to 6-4-3, 1-4-2 (5 points).
The Lancers built up leads of 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 and were the benefactors of Vanguard hitting the frame twice, both in the second half.
Lindsey Merrett and Melanie Gaither both had a goal and an assist. Jacquelyn Witz had a pair of assists. Vanguard's Gabriele Valles had a hat trick.
Merrett got things started with the only goal of the first half when she scored in the 31st minute. Witz gathered the ball down the left side and sent a perfect cross to the middle of the area. Merrett ran onto it and tucked away her fourth goal of the season.
That's when things got fun.
Just 4:05 into the second half, Witz played a ball to the left corner. Merrett ran onto it and sent a cross of her own into the box. An unmarked Fabiola da Silva put a perfectly placed header to the far post for a 2-0 Lancer lead and her third goal of the season.
In the 52nd minute, the Lancers took a goal kick, but Valles beat everyone to it and intercepted it. She instantly sent a floater from 30 yards out over the head of CBU keeper Emily Evanson, who was pulled off her line, to make it 2-1.
The Lions nearly tied the game 10 minutes later, but Karri Currier's shot banged off the crossbar.
Two minutes after Currier hit the crossbar, the Lancers seemingly took control again when Gaither played a through ball to Kylee Nicassio. Vanguard keeper Jillian Foss came charging out, but Nicassio was able to touch the ball by her and then easily tucked away her team-leading 11th goal of the season.
Five minutes after Nicassio's goal, Valles was taken down in the box. She converted the ensuing penalty kick to get the Lions back within one at 3-2.
Just 39 second later, the Lancers again pushed the margin back up to two goals when Gaither cleaned up a mess in front of the net. With the Lion defense unable to clear the ball from a crowd in the area, Gaither found the ball and squirted it into the net for her first career goal and a 4-2 CBU lead.
Still, the Lions weren't done, and Valles completed her hat trick in the 87th minute when the Lancers attempted to clear a ball from the area. It went right to Valles, who hammered home her third goal of the game from the top of the box, making up for the fact that she hit the post just 36 seconds prior to her goal.
The Lions were never able to find the equalizer in the final three minutes as the Lancers held on.
The Lancers out-shot the Lions, 17-14. Both Foss and Evanson made four saves.
