Westmont College Athletics

By Ron Smith
September 26, 2026
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont Men's Soccer (2-5-4, 0-1-1 PacWest) looked to be headed to a conference win, but a series of events in the final six minutes led to a 2-2 tie with the Penguins of Dominican (1-3-4, 0-0-1) on Saturday afternoon at Thorrington Field.
 
The Warriors came out strong in the first half and held a  59-41 advantage in possession percentage at halftime. For the Warriors, 77% of their possession was in the Penguins' half of the field.
 
Westmont tallied five shots in the first 21 minutes of play. Then, in the 22nd minute, Dominican got off its first two shots in rapid succession, both of which resulted in team saves by the Warriors. First, Griffin Brophy fired off a left-footed shot from 10 yards out that Kevin Johnson deflected back into the field of play for the first save. Anthony Stainer then lofted a shot toward the upper left corner with his left foot, but Barrett Goodman leapt and headed the ball. The ball ricocheted off the crossbar and to the feet of Cooper Matthews who cleared it down the field.
 
Dominican did not have another shot until the 38th minute when Jake Kazlauskas scored to put the Penguins up 1-0. Kazlauskas dribbled parallel to the top of the penalty box, then sent a shot between two Warrior defenders, finding the crease in the right side of the goal.
 
"I thought the first half was the best half we have played so far this season," reflected Westmont's head coach Morgan Cathey. "So, I am incredibly proud of how our guys responded from the last game. At the same time, it continued to show where we can be better.
 
"Even in the first half with all the control and a number of really good challenges, we still didn't defend moments well enough. It was a really good job by Dominican to capitalize on the few chances they had in the first half.
 
"They probably deserved more than one goal in the first half. But with the 10 shots we had and the number of opportunities we had in the first half, I thought we should have definitely scored and I think done more in the game. I think that is disappointing that we found ourselves down one-nil.
 
"The game then went back our way. I thought we played really well at the start of the second half and deserved to be in front. They didn't really have many clear chances in the second half like they did in the first half. I thought we defended much better."
 
In the 53rd minute, Matthews produced the equalizer, tying the game at one. Matthews, positioned near the left touchline, received a pass from Cash Anderholt, then dribbled toward goal. From 20 yards out, Matthews blasted a shot with his right foot inside the near post for the goal.
 
Just three minutes later, Micah Malijan put the Warriors up 2-1. Cooper, just outside the 18-yard box on the left side and near the endline, passed the ball back to Malijan who ran on it and let loose a shot from 10 yards out that scooted along the ground. When the shot was blocked by a Penguin player, Malijan tracked down the rebound near the upper-left corner of the penalty box, then turned, and sent off another left-footed shot from 12 yards out. This time, the ball slipped through the hands of the goalkeeper, hit the crossbar, bounced in front of the goal line and then into the right-hand side netting, resulting in the sophomore's first collegiate goal.
The Warriors held their 2-1 advantage for more than 30 minutes.
 
"Then a moment of lack of discipline from us," expressed Cathey.
 
A hard foul by a Penguin player drew a response from the Warriors, and a skirmish ensued that saw three cards issued, including a red card to Logan Race.
 
"We started a confrontation we shouldn't start," acknowledged Cathey. "Because of that, we are down a player and have to defend with 10 players. They capitalized on an unbelievable free kick. It is unfortunate that the game ended the way it did because I think our guys did enough to win the three points. So, I am really disappointed."
 
In the 88th minute, a foul was called on the Warriors and the Penguins were awarded a free kick from 24 yards out. With 2:21 remaining on the game clock, Nathan Freitas sent a shot over the heads of the leaping four-member Warrior wall, just underneath the crossbar, and just over the outstretched hands of Westmont keeper Aidan Strickler, tying the game.
 
Asked who stood out for him today, Cathey replied, "I thought Cole Lomeli played really well throughout the game, especially in the first half. I thought Luis Cortes was really good in the first half. He was so positive.
 
"Honestly, I thought everyone played really well in the first half. The intention in the duels, the intention to go forward, and the intention to be on the front foot was outstanding. I think for me, to highlight more individuals would be unfair because there were so many that did really well in the first half.
 
"In the second half, I thought we rotated really well. Kevin Johnson defended exceptionally well in the second half. Aidan came up with two unbelievable saves to keep us in the game, which was awesome for him."
 
The Warriors will have a week off before hosting Jessup next Saturday, October 3 as part of a men's and women's soccer doubleheader. The women are scheduled for an 11:30 a.m. kick-off with the men following at 1:30 p.m.