By Ron Smith
January 31, 2023
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont Men's Soccer opened the 2023 season by hosting the 14th Heritage Club Classic on Thursday. In the second game of the Classic, the Warriors faced off against the Saints of Saint Martin's (Wash.) in the season opener for both teams.
 
A goal in the 17th minute of play proved to be the only scoring of the contest. The Saints' Angel Alvarado-Fajardo took advantage of a Westmont mistake and drove the ball into an empty net from 20 yards out.
 
"Goals change games, especially goals that you concede on mistakes on your own part," acknowledged Westmont Men's Soccer head coach Morgan Cathey. "They can wear on you and be difficult to manage emotionally.
 
"I think that this game was always going to be one that if our opponent were allowed to grow in their confidence then it was going to be more difficult."
 
"In that moment we were drawing in pressure to find space and to find a free man," pointed out Cathey. "We put ourselves in a situation where it was easy for the opponent to manipulate us. He cut off the angle for our free man, which led to our goalkeeper's indecision. Those are tough moments."
 
Unfortunately for the Warriors, Westmont was unable to produce an equalizer in the remaining 73 minutes of play, despite possessing the ball for 61% of the game. Westmont outshot Saint Martin's 17-6 and posted a 14-5 corner kick advantage.
 
"We did what we set out to do in the game," said Morgan. "For large moments, even from the start of the game, we created some clear chances, but didn't capitalize.
 
"I think we made only one other mistake in the build-up," offered the coach. "Everything else provided us a lot of opportunity to drive with the ball and see the options available to us. I thought our options were in good spaces. I thought from those spaces, when we connected the next pass, we were really good.
 
"It is hard when you play well in moments and do enough to definitely win the game, but you don't. It is easier to focus on the bad, than to focus at all on the good – and there were some really good things.
 
"In the first half, our play from wide areas was good. At times, when we were patient to come into interior space, I thought we found a lot of success. I think we put ourselves in a lot of situations to attack the goal. When we did, their goalkeeper was incredible."
 
Saint's goalkeeper Nick Mueller tallied nine saves – four in the first half and five in the second.
 
"I thought in the second half our adjustments were really good," offered the coach. "In the first half, we were a little bit lucky at a couple of moments. In the second half, we were much more in control, Saint Martin wasn't as dangerous on the counter attack."
 
Westmont will look for its first win of the 2023 season when it takes on Simon Fraser (B.C.) on Saturday. The Red Leafs rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit to defeat Stanislaus State 2-1 in the first game on Thursday. The Warriors and Red Leafs are slated for a 2:00 p.m. kick-off.
 
"Simon Fraser is going to bring out an even greater side to us," noted Cathey. "They are a very good team and have some exceptional individuals. So, it will be great to see how we respond."
 
Prior to the Westmont-Simon Fraser game, Stanislaus State and Saint Martin will take the field in a game schedule for 11:30 a.m.