Monterey Times

Vanguard University Athletics issued the following announcement on Oct. 14.

Men's soccer took on Menlo Thursday afternoon, as Vanguard played the first of two games against the Northern California schools in the Golden State Athletic Conference.  The Lions scored early and kept good control of the game the rest of the way, earning the team's second shutout in a row in the 1-0 victory.  The Lions improve to 9-3-1 overall and 4-1 in the GSAC, while Menlo falls to 5-6 overall and 2-2 in the GSAC.  

What Happened? While the Oaks got the first minute of possession, it did not take long for the Lions to pounce from there.  After working out from their own end, the Lions got the ball outside to Austin Tubbs (JR/Long Beach, CA) who drove down the left side of the field.  He then picked his head up and placed the ball back to Stewart Alvayero (JR/Los Angeles, CA) at the top of the 18-yard box, and Alvayero did the rest, scooping the ball up and over the defender in front of him and past the goalie to put the Lions ahead 1-0 in the second minute.

Alvayero continued to find pockets of space, as he got two more shots away over the next few minutes, sending one over the bar and having the other one saved by Menlo goalie Brent Natwick.  The Oaks then recovered from giving up the opening goal and settled in, earning their first corner kick, but MC did not produce a chance from the set piece opportunity.

James Choi (SR/Irvine, CA) made his first stop in the 21st minute, as the VU goalie sprung up to stop a header that came from the second Menlo corner kick of the game.  The Lions responded in kind in the 27th minute but Hugo Lozano (SR/Santa Ana, CA) sent his shot over the bar.  Aiden Doherty (FR/Huntington Beach, CA) then unloaded on a ball from Marc Trejo (SR/Santa Ana, CA) in the 33rd minute, but Natwick was there to keep the Lions from scoring off their second corner kick.

Trejo had a shot saved in the 35th minute, as the Blue and Gold continued to have the better of the chances despite giving up some ground as the half moved along.  Though a second goal did not come, Vanguard entered halftime up 1-0, having outshot the Oaks 7-2 over the first 45 minutes of play.

The second half started with another blocked shot on an attempt from Alvayero.  The ball then skipped around the box until it landed for Tubbs but he blasted it wide.  VU kept up the pressure, with five shots over the course of four minutes, but Natwick got enough help from his defenders to either block the shots or force them wide of the goal.

After the hour mark, both sides jostled for position, as neither VU nor Menlo could find space in behind the defenders.  Choi had to come up with a save in the 67th minute, although it was relatively routine.  Vanguard then kept the Oaks in their own defensive end, getting two looks.  Natwick jumped off his line to stop a backheel pass on the first and leaped in the air to stop a shot from Trejo from the far side of the field.

Vanguard did get tested as the clock wound down, with the Oaks twice opening the left side with some deep runs, but Choi was up to the task.  He dove out to stop the first ball, while the second rolled harmlessly out of play.  The final minute saw Menlo throw a couple more opportunities towards Choi but he grabbed each one and the Lions held on to claim a 1-0 victory on the road.

Vanguard outshot Menlo 16-7 in the game, also outpacing the Oaks 7-4 in shots on goal.  Each side had four corner kicks in the match.  Choi made four saves, though none were of the spectacular variety.  Alvayero had six shots and two on target to lead the team, with Trejo second with three shots and two on goal.  Tubbs added in two shots, with one being on target.

Why is it Important? Vanguard goes to 7-4 all-time against Menlo, snapping a two-game winless mark.  It is also the second win in a row for the Lions in Atherton.  The win also keeps VU ahead in the GSAC, with ACU and Westmont in the chasing positions.

What was said?  "The guys played very solidly today on the road after a big travel day," said Head Coach Lauren Mascaro.  "I am just proud to ride along with them and watch them grow up."

What's next? Vanguard will take on William Jessup on Saturday, October 16, at 1:30 p.m.

Original source can be found here.