By Ron Smith
October 9, 2025
 
(ATHERTON, Calif.) Westmont Men's Soccer (4-4-1, 0-2 PacWest) couldn't hold on to a 1-0 halftime lead and fell to the Oaks of Menlo (7-3, 2-2) on Thursday afternoon. The game was a tale of two halves.
 
"I was extremely proud of our effort in the first half," said Westmont's head coach Morgan Cathey. "I thought we played almost as well as we could possibly play against Menlo at Menlo. Unfortunately, in the second half, it was a challenge for us to maintain that consistency. It's a credit to Menlo and what they did to amplify pressure. For us, it's a great opportunity to learn and engage in how to be better in those moments."
 
The Warriors' goal came in the 16th minute. A shot by Cole Lomeli from the top of the 18-yard box was blocked by the Oaks' goalkeeper Martin Fiala. However, the ball rebounded back into the field of play. Weston Ash took two steps forward and fired with his left foot from six-yards out, burying the ball in the back of the net. It was Ash's second goal of the year.
 
Ash had entered the game less than 30 seconds earlier, replacing Michael Wilhelm who had sustained an injury.
 
"I thought our goal was something that we worked on well," noted Cathey. "Guys were able to be brave in that moment to play in those pockets. For Weston to come in and impact the game and be able to get on the score sheet was great for him."
 
In the first half, Westmont outshot Menlo 7-4 and limited Menlo to just one shot on goal. However, momentum changed in the second half as Menlo began to control possession. Menlo outshot the Warriors 8-2 in the second half, and outscored them 2-0.
 
"We created some really good chances in the first half and probably should've converted at least one more goal opportunity. With the game just being one-nil, it meant that the game was there for the taking. The next goal in that game was going to dictate a lot and unfortunately, it wasn't us.
 
"You could see that Menlo showed a great desire to win the game. That was pretty evident in the second half and again a huge credit to their team and how they performed."
 
The first Menlo goal came in the 63rd minute when Manuel Portillo dribbled from the left side of the field toward the middle of the pitch, then shot from 24 yards out, driving the ball inside the near post.
 
The game winner came in the 81st minute. A Westmont header near the goal sent the ball to the right of the goal. Jose Garcia retrieved the ball for the Oaks, dribbled into the box and fired into the left side netting.
 
"I thought Erik Guerrero was exceptional in the first half, and was instrumental in our ability to maintain every phase that we wanted to," offered Cathey. "I thought Joey Angelo also had a really good first half.
 
"Michael Wilhelm went out and then Wes also took a knock in the second half that meant he wasn't really as impactful as he was when he got into the game, so that was hard for us for sure."
 
The Warriors are back in action on Saturday when they travel to the Central Valley to take on the Sunbirds of Fresno Pacific.
 
"I'm really looking forward to Saturday and the opportunity to improve upon our performances over the last week," said Cathey. "I think we're growing. We're in a good place. I think the guys are pretty positive about where we are and how close we are to turning the corner. So, I'm really looking forward to getting to see our guys play again."