ROCKLIN, Calif. – In a true "sink or swim" situation, the William Jessup University women's soccer team (10-6, 3-5 GSAC) played host to fifth ranked Westmont College (10-3-2, 5-1-2, GSAC) on Saturday, needing a win or draw to keep their playoff hopes alive. After 90-minutes, neither team had collected a goal, but in the final seconds of overtime, Jessup grabbed a 1-0 win.
Westmont had total control of the match in the first half, with the ball rarely leaving their attacking half of the field. Westmont continuously had Jessup on their heels, as they recorded a total of 8 first-half corner kicks. However, even with Westmont owning the time of possession, at the break, the game was scoreless.
In the second half, Jessup did a great job equalizing the momentum. Jessup saw a few opportunities to strike, but still nothing would fall. Their closest chance to steal the first goal came in the 80th minute when Westmont's keeper raced out of the box to clear the ball away. The clearance attempt went right to sophomore Kailee Soares (Antioch, CA) about 35 yards out. Soares ripped a shot at the empty net, but she was denied as Lauren Dorr of Westmont got back in time to make the diving save.
After no goals were scored in regulation, the match went to overtime. Jessup stepped up their intensity in the overtime period, and their newly gained momentum set up a great chance. Jessup stole the ball away near their own corner, and freshman Dahlia Rodriguez crossed the ball to freshman Amber DeAnda (Stockton, CA) right in front of the goal. DeAna found the net on her first touch to win the match.
"We were playing against one of the top teams in the country," said head coach Jamie Howard. "That can be a little intimidating. But the girls played with heart, you could see that."
With the final stretches of the season looming in, Jessup is currently faced with a situation where they need to win or draw the remainder of their matches to make the playoffs. A few members of the team event went so far as to write "Sink or Swim" on their wrists to remind them of the magnitude of these final matches.
"If we win out then we get to move on into playoffs," said Howard. "We have some extremely tough competition in front of us, so we knew we had to either win or tie this game. A couple girls started this 'Sink or Swim' thing, because they know we need to either step up and do it or we're done."
The final week of the season kicks off on Thursday when the Warriors take on San Diego Christian in Southern California. The season then finishes on Saturday at Vanguard University. Jessup currently trails The Master's College by three points for the final spot in the GSAC playoffs.
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William Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on William Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: William Jessup University Athletics (Facebook), @WJUSports (Twitter), and @JessupAthletics (Instagram, and Snapchat).
