By Ron Smith
October 19, 2025
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont Men's Soccer (5-5-2, 1-3-1 PacWest) led 1-0 over Biola (5-5-3, 2-3-1) with less than 10 minutes to play. However, the Warriors gave up two goals to fall to the Eagles 2-1 on Saturday at Thorrington Field.
 
"Unfortunately, this afternoon, we were on the wrong side of this crazy game," said Westmont's head coach Morgan Cathey. "I truly believe soccer is the only game where the better team doesn't always win.
 
"We've had a couple moments this season that we've been fortunate and had results go our way when maybe the performance wasn't indicative of the result. Today, I thought our performance warranted a result.

"I feel for our team, because we created 23 opportunities and from the first minute were dominant in the game and created so many good chances to finish. It's a huge credit to their goalkeeper; he made some unbelievable saves to keep them in the game."
 
The Warriors took 23 shots during the game to the Eagles' 16, and held a 7-5 advantage in shots on goal. The Warriors also had a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks.
 
Westmont's goal came in the 53rd minute, courtesy of Weston Ash's third goal of the year. Cash Anderholt dribbled the ball to the midfield stripe, then slotted a ball along the ground from the right side to the left, connecting with Erik Guerrero.
 
The senior dribbled forward, then launched a ball into the 18-yard box where Ash was being marked by two defenders as he raced toward the goal. In stride, Ash raised up, leaning to his right, and headed the ball over the Biola goalkeeper Francesco Tricarico in the center of the goal.
 
"I thought we were really good and in control and minimized them to a couple of half-chances," reflected Cathey. "I think (Westmont goalkeeper) Aidan Strickler really only had to make one important save in the first half. It was unfortunate that we didn't defend well in the last ten minutes of the game."
 
In the 81st minute, Biola produced the equalizer. Lamar McKenzie received the ball around 25 yards from goal and dribbled inside the box, getting past two Warrior defenders. Five yards from the end line, and a foot outside of the six-yard box on the left, McKenzie passed the ball across the goal. Ryan Ellsworth ran on the ball then slid and kicked the ball into the back of the net.
 
In the 85th minute, Anderholt set a ball over the top for the Warriors, connecting with Ash who was breaking for the goal and was one-on-one with the keeper. Just above the 18-yard box, however, Ash was clipped from behind by Biola's Ethan Hardin, who received a red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity.
 
Still in the 85th minute, Biola scored again. McKenzie passed the ball into the box to Ellsworth. Ellsworth took one touch, then fired from the right side with his right foot, hitting the underside of the crossbar. The ball bounced downward and into the goal, giving Biola the eventual goal winner.
 
"We went up a man and I think our mentality was to switch off a little bit on the defensive side," acknowledged Cathey, "because now you're going in with the thought that they are going to switch off and become more defensive. The reality was, we ended up putting ourselves in a really difficult position. They had a couple special moments from two of their players to create the second goal."
 
The Warriors created several opportunities to score in the remaining four minutes, but as Cathey said, "For us, it was then too little, too late. Credit to our guys, they kept going in and we kept creating really good chances but, unfortunately, today it just didn't go our way."
 
Next week, the Warriors head for Honolulu for a pair of games. On Thursday, October 23, Westmont will take on Hawai'i Pacific (5-4-2, 2-3). Then on Saturday, the Warriors will face off against Chaminade (0-7-1, 0-4-1).