By Ron Smith
October 12, 2024
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont Women's Soccer (4-6-2, 4-1 PacWest) earned its second 1-0 victory of the week as the Warriors grounded the Sunbirds of Fresno Pacific (2-5-2, 1-3) on Saturday at Thorrington Field. Kennah Shaffer provided the game winning goal for Westmont.
 
"The first half that we put together was awesome," expressed Westmont's head coach Jenny Jaggard. "We have grown so much as a team, which was shown in the way we moved the ball and got seven shots on goal. We are way more dangerous than we were a few weeks ago."
 
In the 36th minute, Sydney Reese was fouled from behind two yards shy of the midfield stripe. Madison Ford stepped up and sent the resulting free kick to Shaffer on the right hand side. Shaffer, unguarded, dribbled to within 23 yards of the goal, then fired with her right foot. The line drive sailed over the head of the keeper and just below the crossbar.
 
"Kennah had an exceptional day today," praised Jaggard. "She did a good job of driving through on the dribble as well as getting the ball and sending some dangerous passes into the box. She also sent diagonal balls into our forwards. I was pumped for her that she was able to get that goal. It was quite a shot that she decided to rip.
 
"The team tactics, today, to get our wing backs open was better than all year. It is because we were also finding our central defensive midfielder. That keeps our opponents from covering everything we were doing and opens things up."
 
Jaggard was also pleased with her team's defense that only allowed three shots on goal. "Their forwards are dangerous but you didn't really see them today. That is a testament that our defending has become more organized. When we turned the ball over, our players were hungry to get it back. That was a full team effort. I really love that and I love the way we are building the ball right now."
 
Five games into the PacWest schedule with six to go, the Warriors are currently part of a four-way tie for second place with 12 points (three points for a win, one for a tie). Sixth-ranked Concordia (8-0-1, 4-0), #23 Hawai'i Hilo (7-0-2, 4-0) and Chaminade (5-2-2, 4-0) are the other teams tied for second. Despite losing today to Concordia, #15 Point Loma Nazarene (8-2-1, 5-1) remains atop the conference standings with 15 points.
 
At season's end, four teams will advance to the PacWest Tournament.
 
"Our focus is that every game we play we want to walk away saying we got better at something today," said Jaggard about her approach to the remaining PacWest games. "If we continue to find something to get better at, both individually and as a team, in every single game, then we might be good enough to get into the tournament and be able to challenge there."
 
The  Warriors' next step is a road game at Jessup on Saturday, October 19.