It has been a tough start for Westmont Men's Soccer and today's 4-2 loss to Cal State San Marcos (1-3) didn't help. The Warriors are now 0-4 on the season, the worst start in 30 years for a proud and successful program.

In 46 years of men's soccer at Westmont, the Warriors have produced a winning percentage of .675 (582-256-95). That includes 20 years under head coach Dave Wolf – the program's all-time winningest coach – whose winning percentage at the start of the 2011 campaign was .695 (261-103-41).

"It is new territory for a lot of us," said Wolf after the game. "It is a hard and humbling place to be. The players are experiencing something right now that very few of them have ever experienced. "

At Westmont, intercollegiate soccer, like all of the athletic programs, is part of a liberal arts education which strives to help the student-athlete mature in every area of life. It is a process that takes place in both victory and defeat – and it was on display today.

Just a minute into the game, Westmont gave up a goal it shouldn't have given up. A pass from one Warrior deflected off another and found the foot of a Cougar for the easy score. Fourteen minutes later, the Warriors were down 2-0 when Jake Kaiser lifted a ball from the right side and Scott Rice headed it into the net for his second goal of the day.

"In light of all that we have been through so far," said Wolf. "I think a lot of teams would have been done after the two early goals."

Lesson number one – Never give up.

In the twenty-second minute, Jordan Correa's hustle in the box resulted in a penalty kick for the Warriors. Junior Gustavo Hernandez was assigned to take the kick and opened a door for the Warriors by placing it in the net. The effect on the Warriors was dramatic. Still down 2-1, their energy and determination on the field denied their season record or the reality of being down 2-1.

"It was obviously a lift for us," said Wolf. "It was a big effort play by Jordan to draw the foul. When you are down 2-0, you are looking for anything you can use as a bit of a spark. I think there was relief, especially for Gustavo. It has been a hard few games for him and so it was a lift for him and for the team."

Lesson number two – Never let your circumstances determine who you are.

In the thirty-fourth minute, senior Doug Harrell passed the ball to sophomore Nana Akyen who had broken free of his defender and was headed to the goal. Akyen buried the ball in the net to tie the score.
"At halftime, I told them I thought it was a great fight back," said Wolf. "I was proud of their effort. It was nice going into halftime with a chance. We haven't felt that too much this year."

Lesson number three – Persevere in the face of unfavorable odds.

The second half would see the Warriors continue to give it everything they had. Unfortunately, it would also bring two goals by the Cougars. In the sixty-first minute, Eric Lopez dribbled down the center of the field and beat the Warrior keeper to make it 3-0. Then, despite a concerted effort by the Warriors, Tobin Sullivan made it a 4-2 game when he scored from 24 yard out.

Lesson number four – Despite your best efforts, you don't always win. Own it, learn from it, move forward.

"After the game, I asked them to promise me that they wouldn't give up," said Wolf. "I don't think they will."

See lesson number one.

The Warriors will continue their lessons next Saturday when they host McKendree (Ill.) in a game scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. Their goal will be to learn from victory.