October 19, 2024
 
(ROCKLIN, Calif.) Westmont Women's Soccer (5-6-2, 5-1 PacWest) just continues to find a way. On Saturday, Westmont trailed Jessup (3-8-2, 1-4-1) 2-1 entering the final 10 minutes of action in Rocklin, but at the end of 90 minutes, it was the Westmont Warriors who came out victorious by a score of 3-2. The story of the day featured a goal from one of  Westmont's best players, and another pair by two first-time goal scorers. It was a freshman who tied it for Westmont, and a junior who ultimately scored the first goal of her collegiate year to send the club back down the freeway with smiles you couldn't wipe away.
 
Westmont got on the board following a corner kick in the 29th minute, when the long cross found its way to the back of the six-yard towards Amelia Villa. Villa, who opposing teams have smothered in and around the box, took advantage of a rare moment where she stood uncovered. When the cross from Sydney Reese came down to earth, Villa was the first one to it, sending it to the back of the net with a header to put Westmont up 1-0.
 
For the junior captain, it was her second goal of the campaign. Come halftime, the score remained 1-0, with Westmont conceding only one shot on frame during the first 45 minutes of play. Outside of Villa's score the Warriors had two other looks on goal, but were unable to double their advantage by halftime. Westmont controlled a dangerous amount of possession during the open period, which included four corner kicks allowed by Jessup. Still, as the second half began, Westmont only led by a one-goal margin.
 
Westmont's inability to tack on would come back to bite immediately in the second half, when three minutes in, Jessup found an equalizer. The opportunity came off a stolen pass on Jessup's side of the pitch, which then resulted in an awkward, in-between bounce off a pass that snuck over a Westmont's defender's head near midfield. From there, Jessup's front line ran downhill with a head full of steam, with Kaylee Gillespie dribbling unbothered for about 25 yards before entering Westmont's box.
 
As keeper Ellie Ludwig came off her line, Gillespie spun a pass to Kye Johnson who made a run on the far edge of the six. Johnson received it, then calmly buried it beyond the reach of Ludwig inside the left post.
 
The game stayed tied for less than three minutes, before Johnson was given another opportunity to threaten Ludwig. This time, the opportunity appeared to transpire in a matter of seconds, when a Westmont scoring opportunity was thwarted, and Jessup possessed the ball before their side of midfield. With Westmont's backline still retreating, Gillespie once again saw Johnson making a run, this time just barely beyond midfield.
 
Gillespie's pass was perfect, finding an onside Johnson in full stride passed midfield, and from there, it was a foot race to the top of the box. Johnson did not waste any time, firing just as Ludwig made her first move to close the gap. Johnson's shot then soared just beyond the reach of an outstretched Ludwig, and just beneath the crossbar to flip the script 2-1 in Jessup's favor.
 
It looked as though Westmont would be leaving Rocklin empty handed until the 79th minute, when the Warriors created a scoring opportunity on the far side of Jessup's 18-yard box. Jessup's keeper, as well as their entire backline, shifted to cover the far post, while the near side of the box remained vacant of anyone in a white jersey.
 
When a cross finally did come, it appeared to be falling into the hands of Jessup's keeper even with her front post. Instead, amidst a swarm of both Westmont and Jessup bodies, Jessup's keeper was unable to catch the cross cleanly, with the ball batting out of her hands, and in front of the near post on a hop.
 
There stood Vanessa Alcala, who had nothing in her way to stop her from tying the game 2-2 with her first goal in a Westmont uniform. Minutes later, Westmont would fully flip the script on Jessup.
 
In the 84th minute, Westmont had one more scoring opportunity inside Jessup's box, with Amarys Machado making a one-on-one run at Jessup's keeper on the near side. The goalie timed their challenge well, and had an opportunity to smother the ball at Machado's feet. Once again, however, the keeper was unable to corral the ball cleanly, and this time it rolled off of her hands and into no-man's land near the far post. With a full-speech approach, Westmont's Ainsley Martin came on and rocketed the game-winner into the back of the net, giving the junior her first goal in a Westmont uniform. 
 
Minutes later, Westmont waltzed off the field victorious in a battle between two Warriors.
 
With 15 points now in PacWest play, the Warriors will find themselves as a top-four team in the conference at night's end. With the final stretch of PacWest games on the horizon, a top-four finish in conference would make the Westmont Women's Soccer club the first team in college history to compete in an NCAA Division II postseason contest.
 
Westmont's women will play three of their final four PacWest matches at home, but first, the Warriors will once again hit the road to take on Concordia next Thursday night in Irvine. Links to live coverage of Thursday's contest will be available on the Westmont Athletics website.