Warriors Fall to Gauchos in Exhibition and More Soccer Stuff

Westmont men’s soccer jumped out to an early lead and then battled back from a three-goal deficit but came up just short in a 4-3 loss to the crosstown Gauchos of UC Santa Barbara on Aug. 30 at Harder Stadium. This exhibition game was the 63rd edition of the Community Shield between the NCAA Division II Warriors and DI Gauchos and the non-stop action energized the crowd of more than 1,200, including many Westmont students and alumni.

“Our guys have to be really proud of themselves,” said head coach Morgan Cathey. “For the alumni and everyone here supporting us, I think they’re happy and proud of our effort.”

Westmont opened the scoring in the fifth minute on a goal by Cooper Matthews, a freshman from Wichita, Kansas. 

In the 75th minute, the Warriors scored their second goal to make the score 4-2. Freshman midfielder Geb Wilcox, a Dos Pueblos High School graduate, stole the ball from a Gaucho defender in the right corner and passed it to Leonel Olivo Ortiz, a San Marcos High School graduate, who fired in a goal from 14 yards out on the right side. 

With the momentum clearly on the Warriors’ side, freshman Weston Ash of Vista headed a ball into the back of the net to make it 4-3 in the 80th minute. 

The Warriors used 20 different players during the game, while the Gauchos sent 21 to the pitch. “At one point, we had five freshmen on the field, and we were in control of the game,” Cathey said.

The regular season kicks off with Warriors, picked No. 2 (tied) in the PacWest Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, hosting the 16th annual Heritage Club Classic. Westmont battles Saint Martin’s (Wash.) on Thursday, Sept. 4, at 12:30 pm and Simon Fraser (B.C.) on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 1:15 pm.

Women’s Soccer Boasts Deep Roster

New women’s soccer head coach Lauren Matthias (’16) is no stranger to Westmont’s winning ways. The alumna, who has served on the coaching staff since 2017, has high hopes for her 20 returning players and 13 newcomers on the roster.

“There’s a lot of depth in our roster this year, and I expect every player to contribute and have an impact in some capacity,” Matthias said. Observers describe the team as electric, gritty, hardworking, and tenacious. “We want to play boldly and courageously,” she said. 

The Warriors open the regular season at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Thursday, Sept. 4, before returning the following Saturday at 4 pm to host CSU Los Angeles in the home opener. An early barometer for the Warriors comes Thursday, Sept. 11, when they play at Cal Poly Pomona, the defending DII National Champion.