Men’s Soccer: Lions fall flat
Suddenly, the numbers aren’t adding up for the Vanguard University men’s soccer team.
After opening the season with five straight wins, a 3-1 loss to Golden State Athletic Conference visitor Westmont on Wednesday was the second setback in the last three contests for the No. 9-ranked Lions.
With a late game pending Wednesday, Vanguard (6-2, 1-2 in conference) will awaken Thursday no better than fifth place in the eight-team GSAC.
Further, the three goals allowed against the Warriors equaled the total scored on Vanguard in its first seven games this season.
“It’s just really disappointing,” said Vanguard Coach Randy Dodge, whose squad fell behind in the sixth minute, then saw the deficit doubled in the 13th minute. “We’re way better than that. We just didn’t come out and perform. It’s really sad on our part. Before we actually became involved in the game, it was 2-0.
“It’s disappointing, because we had a chance to make a lot of noise [nationally] and now we don’t get a chance to make that noise, because we’re going to drop completely out of the rankings, now. We have to.”
The rankings were not a factor for Westmont (5-3, 2-1), just as they were not for The Master’s, who handed Vanguard its first defeat (1-0 in overtime) in the conference opener last week.
Fighting valiantly to overcome the early deficit, Vanguard began a barrage of shots and attacking maneuvers that helped it earn a 23-7 shot advantage.
In the 80th minute, the Lions finally got on the scoreboard, when junior midfielder Nahum Paz, an Estancia High product, bent a shot on frame that Westmont defender Charlie Byers deflected past his own goalkeeper for an own-goal.
Paz, who along with junior Nathan Miramontes amassed six shots, was credited with the goal, his third of the season.
“He did a great job,” Dodge said of Paz, who forced Westmont goalkeepers – first starter Lalo Delgado, then backup Spencer Petty – to leap and punch rising shots over the crossbar in the 59th and 86th minute, respectively.
In the 78th minute, Paz curled a drive from the center of the top of the 18-yard box that caromed off the left goal post and careened wide.
“I’m really proud of the way [Paz] approached the game today,” Dodge said. “He did a good job.”
Dodge also credited Miramontes, calling him the Lions’ best player on Wednesday.
“[Miramontes] is our center back, who we moved to midfield, then we had to put him up top, because he was so dangerous,” Dodge said of the Point Loma Nazarene transfer.
Ruben Arellano had three shots for Vanguard, for which senior star Juan Arellano and senior forward Ivan Azpeita, who had combined for six game-winning goals coming in, managed just one shot on goal apiece among their three total shots.
Vanguard junior goalie Brandon Gomez, who had four shutouts and an 0.41 goals-against average coming in, finished with three saves.
Westmont’s Josh Constant headed a corner kick from Augue Andrade inside the left post to open the scoring, and Sean Nakaoka headed in his first goal of the season moments later to double the advantage.
The Warriors’ Matthew Lariviere scored the clinching goal in the 89th minute.
“Our season is not over,” said Dodge, whose team has seven regular-season games remaining. “We’re going to go to work. If these guys are committed to it, we can rectify this.”
Vanguard’s road back to the upper half of the conference standings begins Saturday at 7 p.m. at No. 15-ranked Biola.