By: Hope Hensley
September 19, 2026
SAN DIEGO — The Westmont men's soccer team twice came from behind in a chaotic first half to secure a 2–2 draw against Point Loma on Saturday afternoon at the PLNU Soccer Field.
Both sides generated rapid-fire offense in an action-packed opening 45 minutes, with all four goals crossing the line before the halftime break. Point Loma (3-2-3) opened the scoring in the 12th minute when Evan Youngflesh turned in a low cross from Zack Mercieca.
Westmont (2-4-3) answered less than six minutes later. Cash Anderholt launched a deep throw-in into the box that bounced to Barrett Goodman, who laid the ball off for Cooper Mathews. Mathews drove a deflected right-footed shot into the bottom right corner in the 18th minute to equalize at 1–1.
The Sea Lions reclaimed the lead in the 26th minute off a short corner sequence, as Mercieca tapped in a delivery from Iñaki Santamarina. However, the Warriors struck back once again in the 39th minute. Jordan Cruijff-Beane and Micah Maljian linked up to find Alvaro Carnicer, who rose around the penalty spot to head the ball home despite a diving effort from the Point Loma keeper, locking the match at 2–2 heading into halftime.
"It was so nice to have everyone at our disposal today and to bring the whole squad," said Westmont Head Coach Morgan Cathey. "That always makes a massive difference for us because we truly believe every single guy on our team matters and can make an impact, whether they play 90 minutes or nine seconds. How our players relate to each other, encourage, and constantly support each other is a huge part of our success as a program."
Cathey pointed specifically to the second equalizing goal as a testament to that depth: "When you look at the second goal with Alvaro from Micah, we saw two players who have had limited opportunities maximize those moments because they were focused, passionate, and in tune with what they needed to do to be successful."
On set pieces, Cathey noted both the positives and areas for growth: "Set pieces are a big part of the game, and we've done a really good job this year to maximize the opportunities we create from them. We have some very talented players in the air and in their ability to arrive in the box. A huge disappointment for us, though, was giving up a goal from a corner kick. That was the first goal we've conceded from a corner kick all season, and it was a lack of concentration. Point Loma is one of the best teams in the country, and they will punish you if you're not focused on the details."
The Warriors took control of the tempo in the second half, outshooting the Sea Lions 11–6 over the final 45 minutes and finishing with a 19–14 advantage for the match. Westmont produced several near-misses in the closing stages, including a header attempt from Mathews that hit the left post in the 77th minute. Goalkeeper Aidan Strickler collected three saves for Westmont, while Point Loma's Jeremy Caringella turned away four shots.
"In the second half, we were much more calm in possession and found the free players in midfield really well," Cathey added. "When the ball was in wide areas, we did a great job not forcing actions, but playing the passes that were on. Our press was also much more cohesive and collective. They didn't have the rhythm they enjoyed in the first half, and when they don't have the ball, we are going to dictate play. We did a really good job settling the game in the right moments."
With the non-conference slate concluded, the Warriors now turn their full attention toward Pacific West Conference play.
"Truly, we feel so ready and are really looking forward to starting strong against Vanguard at home," Cathey said. "Last year, Vanguard was the most challenging opponent we faced, and our guys are excited for this matchup and ready to start the PacWest season on the right foot."
