Men’s Soccer: Vanguard captures GSAC title; advances to NAIA tourney
For only the second time in Vanguard men’s soccer history, the Lions are headed to the NAIA Tournament. But Coach Randy Dodge said this is the first time his players are worthy of the championship label that comes with winning the Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament.
Vanguard (13-6-1), which one month ago was 7-6, defeated The Master’s, 2-0, in Saturday’s tournament final at Vanguard. Their sixth straight win helped the Lions, who finished third in the conference regular-season standings, became only the second Vanguard team to win a GSAC crown (the other in 2010).
“We’re back in the national tournament,” Dodge said, “and we’re back in the right way, with fantastic, fantastic men of character.”
Dodge said the 2010 squad that was 19-1-1 on the field (it forfeited five preseason victories and one tie when Dodge neglected to sit out one game after receiving a red card in the 2009 finale), though supremely talented, couldn’t match the 2014 unit as human beings.
“We just had some people who weren’t Vanguard-quality people in 2010,” Dodge said. “But we changed our recruiting after that and just went for good-character types.”
Four seasons later, it was character, Dodge said, that helped turn the season around after a 3-1 home loss to The Master’s dropped the Lions to 7-6, 3-3 in conference.
“These guys could have packed it away and said goodbye to the season,” Dodge said of the challenge facing his players exactly one month prior. “But they didn’t. They responded and now we’re in the national tournament, which is a fantastic thing. I can’t speak enough about their character and resolve. It’s just so enjoyable to be around these boys. It’s a blessing.”
Dodge had plenty of time to enjoy Saturday’s result, after the Lions scored in the seventh minute on a Jesus Fregoso penalty kick set up when the Mustangs (11-9-1) were called for a hand ball in the 18-yard box.
But, unlike the Oct. 15 loss to The Master’s, Vanguard added to its 1-0 lead in the 16th minute, when senior co-captain Luis Valdivia delivered a pass to Juan Arellano, who buried the 10-yard shot into the left corner.
“We started really well against [the Mustangs] last time, but we gifted them a PK that let them pull even, 1-1,” Dodge said. “Today, we put away that second goal that gave us the chance to weather whatever storm came at us. And, obviously, our goalkeeper came up with a couple big-time saves.”
Vanguard freshman goalkeeper Brandon Gomez, who joined teammates Arellano and junior defender Samer Mahmood on the all-conference team, had two spectacular stops among three saves to preserve his fifth shutout.
Gomez, shuffling to his left, lunged back to his right to get his right hand on a shot targeted across cage from about 10 yards in front early in the second half.
Just moments later, Gomez charged off his line to smother a shot off the foot of GSAC Player of the Year Humphrey Mahowa, who had broken behind the defense and appeared ready to convert what would have been his 14th goal of the season.
TMC, however, managed just five of the game’s 19 shots, as the back line of senior Travis Walser, Mahmood, junior Angel Maldonado, and freshman Jose Castillo, helped Gomez subdue the No. 5-seeded visitors.
The Master’s upset regular-season champion Hope International in the semifinals, allowing Vanguard, which knocked off No. 2-seeded Concordia in the other semifinal, the chance to host the title match.
It was the fourth shutout in a seven-game unbeaten streak for the Lions, who have outscored foes, 13-3, during that stretch.
Vanguard will learn its NAIA Tournament pairing on Monday.
Fregoso, who leads the Lions with eight goals and 19 points (two points for a goal and one for an assist), had seven shots.
Arellano, who now has seven goals and four assists, had four shots.
Senior co-captain Brian Pautasso, junior Hector Garcia, and senior Edgar Hernandez helped Fregoso shore up the midfield for the winners, whom Dodge said were without injured starters Zac Way and Kelvin Fares.
Valdivia said Dodge challenged the players after the first TMC loss, which sparked the turnaround that Dodge termed the most impressive he has ever experienced in 13 seasons at the helm of his alma mater.
“[The about-face] wasn’t anything strategic, because we’ve been playing our game the whole season,” said Valdivia, who has six goals and five assists. “But we really came together chemistry-wise and things started rolling our way. This is the closest team I have ever been a part of.”
Twitter: @BarryFaulkner5