By Ron Smith
October 31, 2019
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) With a 2-0 Golden State Athletic Conference victory over OUAZ of Arizona (10-5-2, 2-4-1 GSAC), and a win by Menlo (11-4, 5-2) over Vanguard (10-5, 5-2), #4 Westmont Men's Soccer (12-1-1, 6-0-1) has claimed the 2019 Golden State Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship.
 
"It is a dream come true," said Westmont senior captain and goalkeeper Edward "Lalo" Delgado. "For every senior, this is what we dreamed of."
 
"It is even better than I expected," agreed fellow captain Tim Heiduk, who returned to the team for another year to use his final season of eligibility.
 
"A big reason I came back for the fifth year was that I knew we had talent coming back and I knew we had another opportunity to come back and do something special with this group," explained Heiduk. "Last year, we had more potential than (the way) we finished and had some bad luck there. I knew that wasn't the way I wanted to go out. This year, the guys bought in – one through 24. To have that moment celebrating with everybody, it was truly special and a moment I will never forget."
 
As a result of clinching the regular season championship, the Warriors receive an abundance of perks. Westmont will:

• Receive a bye in the quarterfinals of the upcoming GSAC Tournament.
• Host the GSAC Tournament semifinals and finals.
• Be awarded with the GSAC's host berth in the NAIA National Tournament.
• Receive an NAIA National Tournament Opening Round bye and enter the tournament in the round of 16.

 
"We all know what it means to have that bye into the round of 16 in the national tournament," said Delgado. "It is huge."
 
"I am obviously happy for the group," said Westmont head coach Dave Wolf, who is in his 29th year at the helm of the Warrior program. "I have been hesitant to use this term, but I think I can say it today – they have had a really special year. They keep finding different ways to do it. It has taken a while for them to win me over, but I give them their due today.
 
"As we have said to the guys on a number of occasion, this experience this year is informed by a lot of other things that have happened in these guys' careers. I think back to some of the challenging losses we suffered last fall. I think back to some of the work we did last spring on the topic of team culture. We have pushed the reset button a couple of different times. So, to me it feels like a converging of a lot of different things."
 
Westmont was challenged in today's game by a talented OUAZ team, but stood the test.
 
"I thought organizationally we were really good," said Wolf. "I thought we kept our lines together and made some good tactical decisions. We weren't on the ball as much as I thought we might be able to be with the windy conditions, but I thought we were really organized. Nick Ruiz, Timmy, Zack Godeck and Lalo are the starting point of the organization, then other guys contribute as well."
 
Offensively, Westmont put its first tally on the scoreboard in the 27th minute. Jona Romero sent a ball into the right corner that was chased down by Wyatt Babineau. The sophomore sent the ball toward the goal where it encountered a Spirit defender and stopped on the ground, two feet from the goal.
 
Sean Nakaoka wrestled it from a defender and lifted the ball across the face of the goal where it found Tyler Young. Young headed the ball off the inside of the cross bar, which it struck before landing on the ground. The assistant referee immediately signaled that the ball had crossed the goal line for what proved to be the game winner.
 
"I thought it was really big to get a goal in the first half against the wind," said Wolf. "I don't think the wind was a huge factor, but I thought it was enough of a factor to impact the game."
 
Westmont took its 1-0 lead into the intermission when the coaching staff was informed that Menlo had taken a 2-0 lead over Vanguard – a piece of information they chose not to share with the team.
 
Ten minutes into the second half, Delgado made a spectacular save to preserve Westmont's lead. The Spirit's Samuel George made a run up the left side and fired off a shot from just inside the box. Heiduk got a foot on the ball, which deflected back to Kyle McDowell on the left flank. The Spirit's outside defender immediately served the ball over a leaping Zach Godeck.
 
"We knew their left back was phenomenal on the ball and can serve it up," said Delgado. "He put a dime right on his player (Cristian Gennaro).
 
"Zach competed really well and got up high, but (Gennaro) got a flick with the corner of his head. It was a fast-reaction save and I was there right behind the line. So, it was good timing."
 
"That is why Lalo is an All-American," said Wolf. "He plays long stretches without a ton to do. Then, he has to come up with the goods in a split second. It was a remarkable save and the key moment of the game. For a man of his size to react with that kind of quickness is remarkable."
 
"I am really glad I was able to do that for the team," said Delgado. "They were all working hard today and I am really happy for them. I told them that every single person played amazing. Even the bench was phenomenal today. The communication was perfect. Everyone was saying the right things all together. They were in sync."
 
"Lalo is due for one or two big saves a game," said Heiduk, who claimed he is no longer surprised by Lalo's prowess. "He has bailed us out on so many occasions. If that goes in, all of a sudden it is one-one, they have the momentum and you never know what happens. Lalo has done that his entire career and came up big for us once again."
 
Five minutes later, Jose Vasquez put the icing on the Warriors' cake. Lucky Puengrod sent a corner kick that cleared everyone's head. Vasquez retreated to get a better angle on the ball, then with one touch fired a rocket into the far side netting.
 
"I am really happy for Jose Vasquez," noted Wolf. "You might assume everyone is having a great year, but not everyone experiences it that way. It has been a hard year for him. He has not felt well at different junctions during the year. He has worked through stuff and had to fight hard to get on the field because of some of our attacking talent.
 
"That ball strike felt cathartic to me. I can't imagine what it felt like for him. I am happy for him and how much he has persevered. He has done a lot of work away from the spotlight on his own. He never complains and always pulls for the guys that are in front of him. But, today was his day."
 
As the final 30 minutes ticked off the clock, Westmont kept OUAZ at bay, resulting in the Warriors ninth shutout of the season.
 
When the final horn sounded, however, the Warriors were not yet champions. An announcement was made over the PA that Menlo held a 2-0 lead over Vanguard with 18 minutes to play. The team decided to stay on the field for the final result. Friends and family made their way from the stands to the Warriors' sideline to await the news with them. When it came, the team and their fans erupted in celebration.
 
"Once it was announced on the PA, we were jumping up and down," said Heiduk. "We were going crazy because all the hard work we put in had paid off. That was super cool to see our families and friends come down. They are a big part of this. Because of them, we have this opportunity to be here. It was a truly special moment."
 
The Warriors' last regular season championship came in 2016 as a shared title with Menlo. Before that, Westmont was part of a three-way championship in 2002 with Biola and Fresno Pacific and a shared championship with Azusa Pacific in 2001. The last time Westmont won a championship outright was in 1998 when the Warriors went 8-2 to win by two games over Point Loma Nazarene.
 
Before entering GSAC Tournament play, the Warriors have one more regular season game to play. Saturday, Westmont will host Arizona Christian (6-8-3, 2-5) for a chance to go undefeated in conference play – a feat last accomplished in 1989 when they went 6-0 to win their fourth GSAC crown.
 
Saturday's game is scheduled to kick off at noon at Thorrington Field – the home field of the GSAC Men's Soccer Champions.