Women’s Soccer: Lions ousted in GSAC tourney semis

LA MIRADA — The Vanguard University women’s soccer team was bounced from the Golden State Athletic Conference tournament on a ricochet Thursday.

Now, following a 2-1 overtime semifinal loss to No. 8-ranked Westmont at Biola, Coach Randy Dodge hopes his No. 10-ranked Lions will survive potential caroms in other conference tournaments that could leave them out of the NAIA Tournament.

“If there are no upsets, we are in for sure,” Dodge said of the scenarios involving teams competing for the eight at-large berths into the national tournament. “If there are two upsets, we’ll still probably get the No. 8 spot.”

The Lions appeared more than worthy of a spot in Saturday’s GSAC final through the first 59 minutes, as they led, 1-0, and had monopolized the quality scoring chances.

But Westmont senior forward Kelsey Steck produced her eighth goal in three games, her 20th of the season, to knot the score in the 60th minute,

In the first golden-goal overtime, a shot by Warriors’ aptly named sophomore Destinee Adams from 25 yards out, deflected off a Vanguard defender and past the goalkeeper to help the No. 2-seed advance past the No. 3 seed.

“We were good today,” Dodge said of his squad, which matched the Warriors with 12 shots, but clearly had the more dangerous dozen. “We dominated the No. 8 team in the nation, but unfortunately, when God dribbles the ball on top of the cross bar like a basketball, maybe it’s not your day.”

Dodge’s dribbling remark made reference to the second minute of the scheduled 10-minute sudden-victory overtime period, when a Vanguard shot from the wing toward the upper center of the net was punched upward by Warriors keeper Lauren Dorr. The ball bounced twice on top of the cross bar, before falling in front of the goal, where Dorr was able to collect it and avert a potential rebound shot.

Vanguard (14-5-1), which played Westmont (13-3-2) to a 2-2 tie in their regular-season meeting (including 20 scoreless overtime minutes), also used the equipment in the 19th minute. In that case, a cross from Madison Cody Farell to Danyelle Allen was directed off the right goal post to keep things scoreless.

Cody Farell was nearly on the finishing end in the 26th minute, when she redirected a cross from Haley Bruce on frame to force Dorr to make a point-blank save.

A driving shot from 30 yards out by Alex Bachman sailed just high in the 42nd minute, but Cody Farell did not miss one minute later to open the scoring.

Cody Farell, who posted her fifth goal in five games and has six goals in her last seven, poked the pass by Dorr and into the net. The late-season surge has been impressive for Cody Farell, who has been slowed by a knee injury suffered in the season opener.

“She has been great for us lately, even though she’s playing at about 80%,” Dodge said of the forward who had 15 goals and 11 assists in 19 games on her way to All-GSAC recognition as a junior. “The last five games, she has been our best player. And today, it wasn’t so much her goal, as it was all the scoring chances she created.”

Playing through a cartilage tear that will require postseason surgery, Cody Farell had just four goals in her first nine games.

Thursday was Cody Farell’s eighth start in her 16th game this season.

But Steck, who scored both goals in the first meeting with Vanguard on Oct. 17, has been even hotter.

“She’s pretty good,” Dodge said of the GSAC Offensive Player of the Year, who had five goals in her previous game and two more in the second-to-last regular-season contest. But Dodge said a domino effect of defensive mistakes helped Steck get the equalizer.

Dodge also noted that on the game-winning goal, there were seven Lions lined up outside the goal, with no Warriors in sight.

Vanguard keeper Kaycee Smith had four saves and defenders Megan Stoll, Angela Hook, Asia Kleinmeyer and Lauren Aronson were also strong throughout.