By Ron Smith
March 15, 2021
 
(LA MIRADA, Calif.) Despite outshooting the Eagles 14-7, #6 Westmont Women's Soccer (2-3) fell in overtime to Biola (2-2) on a cold, windy evening in La Mirada. The short-handed Warriors were missing several players, including three senior starters who were unavailable due to COVID-19 protocols.
 
"I feel like we still need to work on coming out and being sharp in the first half," noted Jaggard. "I was disappointed about how we started the game and gave away a goal in the first half."
 
Biola took a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute. After a ball was passed back to Westmont goalkeeper Gabi Haw by a Warrior defender, the Eagle's Christine Goodman pressured Haw whose pass was then intercepted by Mason Stansberry. Stansberry dribbled toward the goal and Haw went out to meet her. However, Stansberry shot the ball past an advancing Haw and found the net to put the Eagles on top.
 
"I am proud of how the team responded," said Jaggard. "When I give them things to work on, they are extremely coachable and work really hard. In the second half, they went out there and took it to Biola and had them on their heels. We got a goal and probably should have had a couple more. Unfortunately, we didn't finish those and ended up in overtime."
 
Westmont outshot Biola 7-2 in the second half, including 4-0 on goal.
 
Westmont nearly recorded the equalizer in the 57th minute when a chip shoot by Katie Stella from the top of the 18-yard box went less than a foot over the crossbar. Three minutes later, however, Stella's finished.
 
Reese Davidson crossed a ball in the air from the right-hand side that Biola goalkeeper Briana Ruelas attempted to intercept. The diving keeper got her hands on the projectile, but couldn't corral it. With Ruelas on the ground, Stella, for whom the cross was intended, retrieved the ball and knocked it into the back of the net to tie the score at one goal apiece.
 
Westmont had several more chances in regulation, but was thwarted by Ruelas. In the 76th minute, Davidson let go a shot on goal that Ruelas repulsed and two minutes later Stella had a shot from two feet out that Ruelas denied.
 
The Warriors almost ended the game in the first minute of overtime. Stella raced toward the goal with the ball and got off a hard shot that Ruelas blocked. The ball rebounded back to Stella who reloaded and fired again. Ruelas managed to punch away the shot and end the immediate threat. The Warriors would not get another shot.
 
In the 94th minute, Biola's Ell Tinsley passed the ball from the right side across the top of the six-yard box on the ground. Halie Jamir settled the pass and then fired the ball just inside the near post to bring an end to the game.
 
"We are really young and do not know how to manage overtime," acknowledged Jaggard. "This was a good experience and I am glad that we got an overtime situation early in the season. This is a valuable lesson and we will be talking about how to manage it better. I would rather have the heartbreak now when we can learn from it than later and have it end our season."
 
Westmont's season continues on Thursday with a return to Golden State Athletic Conference play. The Warriors will travel to Costa Mesa to take on the Lions of Vanguard (3-2). Due to COVID-19 mandates, spectators will not be admitted to the game. Fans can follow the action on Vanguards broadcast of the game at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/vanguard.