California Baptist University
Westmont College (Calif.)
FIFTH DIMENSION
9/26/2010 1:11:00 AM | Women's Soccer
RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- The NAIA's No. 4-ranked California Baptist University scored twice in a 13-minute span in the first half and made it stand for a 2-0 win over Westmont Saturday in both team's Golden State Athletic Conference opener.
The win is the Lancers' fifth straight as they improve to 7-1 overall, 1-0 GSAC. The Warriors fall to 3-3-2, 0-1-0. It is the Lancers' third straight win over Westmont.
Kylee Nicassio, who scored twice in last week's 2-1 win over No. 7 Martin Methodist, had a goal and an assist today.
The Lancers narrowly out-shot the Warriors, 11-9, but had nine of their 11 shots in the first half, doing their damage before the triple-digit heat began to take its toll. Two of them hit paydirt.
"We did some good things in the first half, but we weren't as sharp as we would have liked to have been in the second half," said CBU Head Coach Kristen St. Clair, who moves to 3-0-1 all-time against her alma mater. "We'll take the result, whether it's pretty or not. It was a little warm today, but we can't use that as an excuse. However, it was a good step going in a positive direction to where we want to be."
In the 22nd minute, the Lancers took one of their four first-half corner kicks. Bernadette Witz played a ball to the middle of the area where Nicassio rose up and headed it towards the goal. Jacquelyn Witz stepped in front of Westmont keeper Roxanne Love and headed the ball over Love for a 1-0 Lancer lead.
Then in the 35th minute, CBU doubled their advantage. Jenny Kute whipped a ball into the box and again Nicassio rose above her defender, but this time her header zipped over Love's hands and into the net for her sixth goal of the season.
NAIA Defensive Player of the Week Nicoline Jorgensen made four saves, three in the second half, as the Lancer defense posted their second straight shutout.
"The defense is coming together nicely," said St. Clair. "There were some good performances, and it's always nice to get the shutout."
