“Halftime was probably the worst I felt all season,” said Westmont men’s soccer head coach Dave Wolf. “That was the lowest, darkest point.”
At the intermission, the Warriors were down 1-0 to Point Loma Nazarene. To make things worse, because of a handball in the box, the Warriors were awarded a penalty kick with six seconds left in the first half. Hugo Pizano fired off a shot to the right-hand side of the net, but Point Loma goalkeeper Eric Leboffe guessed correctly and made a diving save to his right to preserve his first-half shutout.
“I told the team, ‘There is nothing I could do to help you. I don’t have any answers for you. I’ve tried different systems, personnel, formations. I’m out of ideas; I’ve got no suggestions’. The point was, ‘It’s your team; take ownership; it’s up to you’.”
“Honestly, we looked lazy,” said sophomore defender Zach George about the team’s first half play. “Coach talked to us at halftime and told us it was on us. This is not a FIFA (video) game where he has the controls. We have to do it.”
Apparently, George was not the only one listening. The Warriors produced three unanswered goals in the second half to notch a 3-1 Golden State Athletic Conference victory.
“In the second half, they tried to play the game the right way,” said Wolf. “One example is that we did a really good job of traveling defensively. When the opponent is passing the ball and they are in route, I want to see us moving and arriving when the ball does. That shows me the recognition of where the pass is going and it also shows me the effort to get there. I thought we were really good in that area in the second half and I thought that made a big difference for our team.
Westmont’s first goal came just five and one-half minutes into the second period. George threw in the ball from the left sideline and senior defender Dillon Barna headed it into the net.
“I’m real happy for Dillon,’ said the coach.”He was out for two games. It was good to have him back on the team and good to see him get a goal. I think that ignited the comeback.”
The Warriors scored the game winner in the sixty-eighth minute. Senior forward Andrew Schneider passed a ball to sophomore forward Doug Harrell at the top of the box. Harrell settled the pass and fired off a shot that squeezed itself between the left-hand post and Leboffe’s outstretched arms.
Not only was Westmont’s offense clicking, but so was the Warriors’ defense.
“It was definitely a struggle on defense,” said Barna. “Not only were their forwards attacking, but they kept throwing in a lot of midfielders, especially (Erick Melendez and Jon Fielding). We had to be sure and keep our shape together. We were also rotating our back four in and out of the game which is something you don’t often do on defense.”
Temperatures in the mid-90s likely led to the decision to keep the defensive players fresh.
The final goal came in the literal last second of the game. Pizano received the ball from forty-five yards out as public address announcer Brandi Nakamoto was counting down the last ten seconds. The senior midfielder launched a shot which sent the team and fans alike into instant celebration as the clock expired.
“It’s a fun way to end a homecoming game,” said Wolf. “Hugo has great technique – something he has demonstrated all season long. Not many guys can do what he did in that moment in time. It was a spectacular goal.”
With four games remaining in the GSAC schedule, the Warriors (5-5, 3-3 GSAC) find themselves in seventh place in the conference standings. The Warriors have accumulated nine points (three points for each win) and are currently one point behind both Fresno Pacific (7-4-1, 3-2-1 GSAC) and Vanguard (6-5-2, 3-2-1 GSAC) who are tied for fifth place. #23 The Master’s (11-2-1, 6-1 GSAC) sits atop the conference with 18 points despite its loss today to Vanguard. #20 Biola (10-1-1, 5-0-1 GSAC) is in second place with 16 points and #4 Azusa Pacific (12-2, 5-2 GSAC) is in third place with 15 points. #16 Concordia (8-4-1, 4-1-1 GSAC) claims fourth place with 13 points.
Next week, Westmont hits the road for two conference games. On Tuesday, Westmont will play at Azusa Pacific at three o’clock. Saturday, the Warriors will make their way to Fullerton to take on Hope International at 2:30 p.m.
