Women’s Soccer: Lions handle Hope
Among precedent set by the Vanguard University women’s soccer team on Wednesday, perhaps the most impressive was the one that won’t go in the record book.
For beyond the 1-0 victory over visiting Hope International in the Golden State Athletic Conference opener that gave the Lions their best start in nine seasons under Coach Randy Dodge, there was the unconditional praise that Dodge gleefully lavished on his team.
“I’m very pleased with the effort,” said Dodge, whose No. 10-ranked squad improved to 8-0-1 and opened conference with a win for only the second time in the last seven seasons. “It’s our first conference game and we had to get the win to put ourselves on the positive side. The girls played the way they have been playing the last eight games: together.”
The Lions cohesion on offense and defense produced a 21-9 advantage in shots and the need for senior goalkeeper Lauren Terry, who came in leading the nation with an 0.13 goals-against average, to make just two saves to preserve the team’s eighth shutout in 2014.
The Lions have now outscored opponents, 35-1, this season, creating the biggest differential through nine matches in the Dodge coaching era. Only the 2013 team, which finished 15-5-1 and advanced to the second round of the NAIA Tournament, had more goals (41) at this point in the season under Dodge.
The last time Vanguard won its conference opener, in 2012, the team went on to a 10-0 conference regular-season record and also won the GSAC Tournament on its way to the NAIA semifinals.
“We’re better this year than we were last year,” Dodge said. “We have such good combinations. Maybe we don’t have that main player, but, man, our group as a whole is solid.”
Senior forward Jennifer Martin converted a deft assist from senior midfielder Liliana Ruiz in the 55th minute for the difference. The goal, a drive into the upper left corner of the net from near the top of the 18-yard box, gave Martin eight goals this season, tied for the team lead with freshman forward Madison Lopp, one ahead of junior Madison Cody.
The Balance among the top three scorers is bolstered by the fact that eight Lions have posted goals this season, while 12 Vanguard players have at least one assist.
Martin, in her second season with the Lions after transferring from Santiago Canyon Community College in Orange, agreed with Dodge that this year’s team has something special.
“I’m really confident in this group,” said Martin, whose 19 points (two points for a goal and one for an assist) match Cody for the team lead, two points ahead of Lopp. “It’s my senior year and I’m super stoked. I’m super confident in every girl that comes onto the field. I’m excited to see what we have.”
Martin said the 2014 Lions have more ways to defeat defenders.
“We’re good at keeping the ball, playing the ball and playing around,” Martin said. “We see where [teammates] are going to move and just have good vision as a team.”
Dodge knows that this supreme ability to play together is rare.
“We’ve never had it at this level,” Dodge said. “We’ve always had one or two special, elite players. This year, they are just a good group.”
Martin and Cody had four shots apiece Wednesday, while junior midfielder Ashley McCutcheon produced eight, mostly on headers off of set pieces. Ruiz had three shots, but was most effective setting up her teammates, one-touching controlled passes to open Lions, who then tested Royals goalkeeper Sofia Pacino.
Pacino dived to her left and right for some of her seven saves. She also stopped a couple point-blank offerings and benefited from some inaccurate shooting by the hosts, including one breakaway shot that rolled just wide and another blast in front that rocketed high over the crossbar.
Hope (5-3), which has lost six straight to Vanguard and is 0-8-1 in the last nine meetings with the Lions, was not without quality chances. One Royals’ shot glanced off the top half of the crossbar and speedy junior forward Amanda Scheatzle had an open shot from the wing sail high.
Vanguard junior Angela Hook stood out on a starting back line that included senior Makenna Yarbor and freshmen Erica Wadell and Jessica Taukeiaho.
Midfielders Megan Stoll, a sophomore, and Jenell Koide, a senior, also contributed heavily for the winners, who play host to No. 7-ranked Concordia on Saturday at noon.