SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (KEYT) - In a wild second-half battle featuring five total goals, the Westmont men's soccer team earned the Pacific West Conference Tournament Championship with a 3–2 victory over top-seeded Hawaii Pacific on Saturday afternoon at Kennelly Field.
Following a physical, scoreless first half where both sides combined for 14 fouls, the Warriors (10-7-5) exploded for three goals in a 15-minute second-half stretch. Defender Cash Anderholt broke the 0–0 deadlock in the 60th minute, finishing a set-piece service from Tiago Aranibar and Julius Oehmichen.
Westmont doubled its lead in the 68th minute when substitute forward Weston Ash connected off a pass from Micah Maljian to make it 2–0. Hawaii Pacific (9-6-3) answered just over two minutes later when Kelly Takara converted in the 70th minute to pull the Sharks within a goal.
The Warriors quickly restored their two-goal cushion in the 75th minute. Aranibar recorded his second assist of the afternoon, serving a ball into the box for Luis Cortes, who buried the shot to give Westmont a 3–1 margin. HPU cut the deficit to 3–2 in the 83rd minute on a goal by Olle Ridelius off a cross from Takara, but the Warrior backline closed out the final seven minutes to lock down the victory and secure the conference crown.
"You don't play finals, you win them," said Westmont Head Coach Morgan Cathey. "These guys won every duel, won the mental side, and stayed focused throughout. I'm incredibly humbled that the guys would work as hard as they do."
"It comes from passion and commitment—those are the key pillars the coaching staff stressed," added midfielder Joey Angelo, who played all 90 minutes. "When you're playing for something bigger than yourself, for your faith, the brotherhood, and the coaching staff, those are the things that push you when you're tired."
Defender Barrett "Bear" Goodman logged 90 minutes along the backline and was named the PacWest Defender of the Tournament following the match.
"It means a lot to me," Goodman said. "I came back from an ACL and meniscus injury and not playing for a whole year. To get another chance to play again, play for my boys, and play for all the guys who put their heart and soul into this—I'm so happy for my coaches and everyone for believing in us."
With the championship victory, Westmont earns the PacWest's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
NCAA Division II Tournament Schedule:
Selection Show: Monday, Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m. ET on NCAA.comFirst Round: Friday, Nov. 13"We will soak up this moment because it's important to celebrate," Cathey concluded. "Our guys show unbelievable commitment through all the hardships. They're not phased by anybody, and I think our guys will rise to the occasion to represent Westmont, God, and the brotherhood."
(Article courtesy Westmont Athletics).
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