By Ron Smith
September 5, 2024
 
(LOS ANGELES) Opening day didn't go the way Westmont Women's Soccer had planned. The Warriors (0-1) suffered a 4-2 loss to the Golden Eagles of Cal State Los Angeles (1-0), who are ranked third in the West Region.
 
"It was the craziest game of soccer that I have coached in a long time," declared Westmont's head coach Jenny Jaggard. "It was kind of ugly but also kind of pretty. We played some of the best possession soccer that I have seen us play, but they managed to beat us."
 
The Golden Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute after Shelby Melin sent a ball over the top past Westmont's defenders. That left Syra Valdez with a breakaway. From 21 yards out, Valdez touched the ball past the Westmont keeper and it rolled into the net.
 
Westmont evened the score in the 33rd minute on a goal by Amarys Machado, assisted by Ruby Stimer.
 
"Ruby played a nice ball to Amarys and Amarys tucked it into the corner. The angle that Amarys was moving was the opposite angle from the direction that she shot it. That took the goalkeeper off her game."
 
Stimer intercepted a pass and used a single touch to send it to Machado who was open on the left side, just outside the 18-yard box. Machado settled the ball with her left foot, then fired with her right, sending the ball just inside the near post.
 
Within the final 30 seconds of the first half, the Golden Eagles scored again to take a 2-1 lead into halftime. Giselle Uribe sent a ball from the right touchline over the Warriors' back line and toward the right corner of the 18-yard box. Delia Bocanegra ran on a diagonal for the pass. One-on-one with the keeper, Bocanegra lofted it over her head and into the goal.
 
After the intermission, the Golden Eagles stretched their advantage to 3-1 on a corner kick. In the 60th minute. Melin served the ball from the right corner, finding the head of Liliana Gonzalez who redirected it into the net.
 
In the 77th minute, the Warriors' Grace Wilhelm attempted to head a ball just inside the 18-yard box when she was fouled hard by Los Angeles' Peytyn Mize. The foul resulted in a penalty kick awarded to the Warriors. Ande Siegel took the penalty kick and drew the Warriors within one with a ball that snuck past a diving keeper.
 
"Willy deserves the assist for the foul she drew in the box," quipped Jaggard. (The rules don't allow an assist on penalty kicks).
 
The final goal of the game came just two minutes later. Itzel Carbajal sent a pass in the air to Reyna Roman who was seven yards out in front of the net. Carbajal one-touched the ball out of the air and sent it into the far crease.
 
"Sydney Reese had a really good game and Ruby had a very good first half," noted Jaggard. "Madison Steinbach was one of our starting forwards today. She was fantastic until a tough tackle that took her out of the game."
 
The Warriors return home for a three-game homestand that begins on Saturday when Westmont hosts the Cougars of Cal State San Marcos. Kick-off is set for 12:30 p.m.