By: Hope Hensley
August 29, 2026
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The Westmont Warriors women's soccer team earned a hard-fought scoreless draw (0–0) against CSU San Marcos on Saturday afternoon at Westmont College. Facing relentless pressure from a Cougars squad that received national votes entering the season, the Warriors held firm to secure their first clean sheet and tie of the 2026 campaign.
The result moves Westmont to 0–1–1 overall. Last season, Westmont recorded zero draws, making Saturday's defensive performance an early-season building block against a high-caliber opponent.
Defensive Stand & Set-Piece Discipline
CSU San Marcos controlled long stretches of possession and generated 15 corner kicks along with seven total shots throughout the match. Despite the sustained pressure, Westmont's backline and goalkeeper Ellie Ludwig remained structured and unyielding.
Ludwig anchored the defense with three saves on target, routinely coming off her line to disrupt cross opportunities and command her 18-yard box. Center backs Madison Ford and Daniella Coyle played all 90 minutes, spearheading the defensive effort to clear heavy aerial attacks.
"Ellie played super solid in the back and had a couple of big saves—including some that don't get noted on the stat sheet where she just comes out, gathers the ball, and disrupts play," said Head Coach Lauren Matthias. "I thought our backline did really good handling all the aerial attacks they sent our way. Madison Ford and Daniella Coyle in the back executed really well, and our keeper did a great job owning her space."
Addressing the team's discipline against 15 opponent corner kicks, Matthias praised the squad's work rate on set pieces:
"We weren't super happy with giving up that many corners, but when a team presses you that much, there are only so many places you can clear it. Overall, the defensive organization on corners was really good. We've been working a lot on making sure we're matched up in the box, winning 1-v-1 battles, and owning space. I was really proud of everyone who dropped back to defend."
Attacking Development & Bench Depth
Offensively, Westmont logged 47% of possession and created two second-half shot opportunities. Defender Vanessa Alcala put a shot on goal in the 55th minute, while forward Skyler McNamara fired wide left in the 74th minute.
"We did a good job going from the middle third into the final third," Matthias noted regarding the attack. "It's just been that one more pass to create a shot on top of the box or quality crosses away from the keeper. We need our forwards to hold the ball a little better so we can develop play rather than rushing it."
Westmont utilized heavy bench rotation throughout both halves to maintain defensive intensity. Defender Estella Bacsafra provided 53 quality minutes in relief, while midfielders Sydney Reese, Gizela Zermeno, Madeline Steinbach, and Mae Blazer provided vital energy in the center of the pitch.
"All the substitutions we made today did fantastic," Matthias added. "We have a dynamic midfield where we can sub a lot to manage minutes, especially with another game on Monday. Players like Sydney Reese and Gizela Zermeno came in, matched the physicality, and shut down defensive opportunities before they could develop."
Head Coach Lauren Matthias' Post-Match Comments
On the significance of the result and looking ahead to Monday:
"Overall, it's a really good step in the right direction to get a clean sheet and a point against a team receiving Division II votes. We had no ties all of last season, so to get a draw this early gives us a great confidence base."
"Monday is another hard test against Cal State San Bernardino. The main focus right now is recovery—getting good sleep and proper nutrition are the core pillars. We'll have the girls roll out, stretch, ice bath, and get ready to go again."
