By Ron Smith
September 7, 2025
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) For the second year in a row, Westmont Men's Soccer (1-0-1) and Simon Fraser (1-0-1) of British Columbia played to a tie. This year's contest was marked by intensity and physicality that was reflected in 40 fouls called and six yellow cards issued.
 
"They are a good team, a very physical team," said Westmont's head coach Morgan Cathey about his opponent. "I haven't coached in a game where we have been fouled 29 times in decades. I thought our guys handled that well. Cash Anderholt and Eric Guerrero may have drawn 15 fouls between the two of them. A lot of those fouls stopped our momentum.
 
"In Simon Fraser's first game (on Thursday at the Heritage Club Classic), they rested some guys and today they pushed a lot more numbers against us. I think they were a lot more intense in the game today. Hats off to them for capitalizing on the opportunities that they had.
 
The intensity was on display early with both teams scoring in the first two minutes. Westmont struck first when Serkan Durna scored off an assist by Anderholt.
 
Prior to the game, when speaking on air with Westmont Sports Network broadcaster Natalie Fagen in a pregame interview, Cathey noted that, "I think it is going to be a good day for Serkan Durna. Serky is going to be in a little bit of a different role today and I think it will maximize his strengths well, if we can find him the ball in dangerous positions. Especially when they press us, if we can see spaces for him to turn, then I think we are going to be in a good position."
 
Weston Ash collected a throw-in by Simon Fraser near midfield and passed the ball to Cole Lomeli in the center of the field. Lomeli led Anderholt with a pass as he was running down the right flank. Anderholt controlled the ball with his right foot, took a step with his left, then fired back to top of the 18-yard box to Durna. The senior collected the ball with his right foot, pushing it slightly goalward. He took two steps then fired with his right foot, putting the ball inside the left upright.
 
"Serkan was playing what we would consider a false nine or a withdrawn forward," said Cathey after the game. "He was more of a lone attacking midfield player. All our other midfield players were quite deep. He did really well in the pocket underneath."
 
It did not take long for Simon Fraser to respond. The Red Leafs took the kick-off into the right-hand corner, then crossed it into the box. An attempt to intercept the pass inadvertently resulted in an own goal, tying the score at one goal apiece.
 
"Super disappointed to give up the chance 20 seconds after we score, and to have that happen for the second time in three games," said Cathey, referring to the exhibition game with UC Santa Barbara. "It was hard for us to swallow."
 
The Red Leafs' second goal came in the 10th minute, giving Simon Fraser its first lead of the game (2-1). Kian Proctor received a pass near the left touch line, then dribbled through three Warrior defenders before firing from eight yards out and getting past the diving Warrior goalkeeper, Mario Floriano.
The Warriors tied the score at two after Anderholt was fouled hard outside the 18-yard box. Eric Guerrero took the free kick for the Warriors, facing a wall of five Red Leaf players and a sixth laying on the pitch behind the wall. From 23 yards out, Guerrero left-footed a shot over the leaping wall that hit the crossbar and deflected down into the goal.
 
Simon Fraser regained the lead following a defensive error by the Warriors. A back pass intended for Floriano was intercepted by Michael Hennessy, who dribbled past the keeper and tapped it into an empty net.
 
"To give up the goal we gave up on the back pass is indicative of what we did against UCSB," acknowledged Cathey. "However, I think for us to not have the same drop in play as we have had, and to come back after giving them two goals is good."
 
The Warriors scored their second equalizer in the 29th minute, tying the score at three. Guererro was fouled in Westmont's defensive half, then quickly sent a free kick up field to Leonel Olivo Ortiz who was one-on-one with a defender. Ortiz beat his defender who fell on the play, then broke for the goal. From 12-yards out on the right side. Ortiz pulled the trigger with his right foot, sending a shot four feet high past a diving keeper and inside the right upright.
 
"I thought Weston and Leo were outstanding throughout the game," pointed out Cathey. "They caused Simon Fraser so many problems. Leo's individual goal was unbelievable. He could have had one or two more, but I thought he and Weston were great."
 
Simon Fraser's final goal came in the 64th minute, giving them a 4-3 advantage. Francesco Troisi sent a cross into the box which was uncontrolled. The loose ball travelled outside the box on the left side. Derek Ebel ran on the ball and fired with his left leg from 25 yards out, sending a rocket into the goal at the top left corner.
 
Westmont's third equalizer of the game came in the 79th minute. Durna served a ball into the box from 40 yards out. After a single bounce, Luis Cortes dove and headed the ball toward the goal from inside the six-yard box. Goalkeeper Jordan Thorsen got his left hand on the ball and sent it back into play, but John Ruetschle ran on the rebound and slammed it into the back of the net with his left foot.
 
"Our fourth goal was an incredible team effort," offered Cathey. "Overall, I think we played well. The spaces against Simon Fraser were definitely on to expose in behind. We played personnel we felt that could expose those spaces. Serkan did really well in the pocket underneath. I have to be happy that we came back three times. That says a lot."
 
Westmont will play their third game in five days on Monday when they take on the Leopards of La Verne. Kick-off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at Thorrington Field.
 
"We are excited to continue to give more guys opportunities," said Morgan about his plans for staffing Monday's game. "After these three games, our goal is to know a lot about our team and have a lot of clear pictures and have everyone confident and hopefully healthy.
 
"We have been resting a couple of guys even this weekend to try and bring them back over the next couple of weeks so that they are flying by the time we get to conference."
 
After taking on La Verne, the Warriors will have four more non-conference match-ups before starting PacWest play by hosting Concordia on October 2.