By Ron Smith
September 6, 2017
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) A goal by freshman Bri Johnson in the 110th minute, gave #6 Westmont (4-1) a 3-2, double-overtime win over Antelope Valley (3-2) on Wednesday afternoon at Thorrington Field. The Warriors held a 2-0 lead with less than 15 minutes remaining in regulation, but the Pioneers responded with two quick goals to force the game into extra minutes.
 
"I think we could have managed the game better today," said Westmont head coach Chantel Cappuccilli. "We had moments and opportunities to take care of it. Antelope Valley did a good job to expose us in the moments that we didn't take care of the game.
 
"Hopefully, we will learn something. When you have a lead, you treat that with care and you respect your ability to manage the game in your defensive posture in those moments. I think that could have been better on the day."
 
The only goal of the first half came in the 24th minute. Westmont's Bri Johnson dribbled the ball on the left side of the 18-yard box but had the ball take away by Antelope Valley defender Jennifer Rodriguez. Rodriguez then passed the ball back to Pioneer goalkeeper Anekha Birdi. Birdi tried to clear a ball from in front of the goal. However, Jackie Lopez leapt in front of her kick and deflected it back into the goal for the score.
 
The Warriors extended their advantage in the 77th minute of play; the result of Bri Johnson's fifth goal of the season. Haylee Lopes took one of 10 Westmont corner kicks in the game, delivering the ball to the middle of the field, eight-yards from goal. Johnson headed the ball down to the ground halfway to the goal. Birdi dove to her left, but the ball eluded her reach. A Pioneer defender kicked the ball out of the goal, but the assistant referee determined that the ball had cleared the goal line.
 
Just three minutes later, however, Antelope Valley's Adriana Zuniga cut Westmont's advantage in half. Kyhlie Hansen sent a ball to the left sideline where Lucy Martinez drove it back toward goal. Zuniga, extended her right leg and reached the ball with her toe sending it toward the goal. The ball bounced off of Westmont keeper Amber Rojas back toward Zuniga who finished with a ball inside the near post.
 
Two minutes after that, Zuniga scored again. Daisy Rodriguez corralled a ball near the top of the box and passed it to Zuniga. Zuniga took one touch, then fired to the upper-V to tie the game at two goals apiece.
 
As the game headed to overtime, Cappuccilli offered this perspective to her team. "My word to the team was, 'you have to let it go.' You don't have room to dwell. It has to be a very quick mental adjustment to ask how you are going to respond. We can't go back and fix the mistake. From that point on we have to have the mental capacity to fight regardless of the score line.
 
"I think we started to find a little more momentum in the overtime period. We were able to play into our experience. Although we wouldn't want to be in the adverse situation to begin with, we handled ourselves well and were able to dig out of the situation that we got ourselves into."
 
 
With the clock ticking down under a minute to play, Renee Gonsalves picked up a loose ball near midfield and dribbles down the left sideline. Gonsalves passes to Lopes who returned the ball to Gonsalves as she continued running down the sideline.
 
Gonsalves then pulled up and passed to Johnson who was on the left side about 20-yards from goal. Johnson dribbled parallel to the goal, beat a pair of Pioneer defenders and fired toward the near post before a third Pioneer could join the defense. The ball bounced on the ground a foot in front of the goal and slid beneath Birdi as she leapt to her right.
 
"Bri's ability to get turned is special," said Cappuccilli. "I think it was a great individual effort to create a half-yard of space for herself after beating two defenders, and then tuck in the goal. Her ability to do that in her freshman season speaks to the potential that she has. Credit to Bri for being able to create that moment for us and put it away."
 
The Warriors will look to create more memorable moments on Saturday when they welcome Marymount to Thorrington field for a game at noon.