Down 1-0 at halftime, #12 Westmont Women’s Soccer exploded for four goals in the second half to post a 4-1 win over Hope International (6-10-1, 1-8 GSAC) in Fullerton on Tuesday afternoon. With the win, Westmont improves to 12-3-1 overall and 8-1 in Golden State Athletic Conference play and extends its winning streak to eight games.
Because of today’s result, the Warriors will have an opportunity to play for a share of the Golden State Athletic Conference regular season championship on Saturday when they visit Vanguard. The Lions (12-2) are half a game ahead of the Warriors in the GSAC standings at 8-0. Vanguard will play at San Diego Christian on Wednesday before meeting up with the Warriors in Costa Mesa.
Hope International’s Brooke Williams scored in the thirty-seventh minute of the game for the Royals to take the first-half lead. Grace Kellogg chipped a free kick over the Warrior defense and Williams one-touched the ball into the net.
“The field took in a lot of rain last night and was an absolute disaster,” said Kiely. “In the first half, we got the side that was harder to defend. It was soggy, wet, thick, deep mud so players would get stuck or slip or the ball would take a funny hop.
“The players would slip and the official would call a foul. It was disruptive to the flow of the game. The free kick was a result of a foul and we didn’t defend it very well. Hope International did a good job capitalizing on it. Hope always plays us tough and I think that in the not too distance future they are going to become a threat in the GSAC.”
Early in the second half, the Warriors asked Kaci Mexico to return to the game and moved Aolani Rueff to the middle of the field.
“I thought we did a much better job avoiding the middle with Aolani there. I think that calmed us down a little bit. All four of our goals came once we put her in the middle.
“Kaci came in and she has a flare for the dramatic,” continued the coach. “Ashley (Correa) was eight yards out with the ball and was able to shield the ball from the defender and lay it off to Kaci. Kaci slotted the ball to the far post and found the side netting under pressure with a lot of chaos in the box. She stayed calm and composed to finish a great goal.”
Earlier in the day, Correa was named the NAIA Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week in recognition of her five goals and one assist last week.
Westmont’s winning goal came in the seventy-sixth minute when Mexico and Correa teamed up with Tiffany Dimaculangan. Correa, lined up for one of her nine corner kicks and connected with Mexico who headed it toward the center of the goal toward Dimaculangan.
“Tiff got something on it and was able to slip it past the keeper,” described Kiely. “She was at the right place at the right time and had a great touch on it.”
Just 56 seconds later the Warriors extended their lead to 3-1.
“Alison was on the attacking half of the field and slipped a great ball through to Ashley,” said Kiely. “Ashley ran past two players and finished it to the far post. I loved that a center back is coming up and playing with a front player to combine for a goal. That is the way we try to play.”
In the eighty-first minute, freshman Kaitlin Swift recorded her first collegiate goal to account for the final score.
“Kelsey out-muscled, out-powered and outran her way through and down the line,” reported Kiely. “She crossed the ball and Kaitlin was right there at the near post. She got a little toe poke on it and sent it right past the keeper.
“It was a beautiful goal and great to see a freshman combining with another freshman. Both of them have been staying after training for about the past month and doing some extra work with (assistant coach) Dan (Ribbens) on finishing. It’s nice to see that rewarded.
“I am very proud of the team for responding with confidence to being down 1-0,” noted Kiely. “It was an entire team effort to come back. I thought we played some good soccer on a field that was hard to play on.”
