SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - Road wins are tough to come by in the GSAC but the Warriors men's soccer team did just that using a quick start to grab their first conference win of the year 3-0 over The Master's Thursday afternoon.
Warriors coach Greg Lazaga said his team's mindset was a good sign early on. "We came out with energy that was infectious. A few good connections and opportunities got us rolling early. Our guys were playing with a smile and it translated into confident combinations on the field and the result was some great finishing."
The Warriors (3-7-1, GSAC 1-1) came into Thursday's contest after back-to-back slow starts but strong defense from goalie Robert Sams helped Jessup's defense settle in early on. Sams had saves in both the fifth and seventh minute that kept the scored tied at zero. The Warriors found their offensive stride when Heriberto Trevino scored in the eighth minute giving Jessup the 1-0 advantage.
Later, The Master's looked to even things up as they had four shots in the following 13 minutes of play but the Warriors defense held up. In the 25th minute, the Jessup took offensive control with shots in the 26th and 31st minute before Trevino found the back of the net again this time on an assist from Josh Freeman.
Jessup continued to attack the Mustangs' defense with another shot in the 33rd minute and then a few minutes later Paul Anderson scored giving the Warriors a commanding 3-0 lead. Jessup's defense continued to hold it's ground and took the 3-0 lead to halftime.
In the second half. The Master's tried to get back into the match as they put three shots on goal in the opening 10 minutes but Sams continued his strong play with two more saves.
After shots by Karam Idris and Anderson didn't find the net, the Warriors cruised in the final five minutes to their first conference victory.Â
Sams was tremendous in goal for Jessup as he tallied a season-high 10 saves. Trevino continued his strong offensive play adding two more goals to his season total (9) and Anderson added his third of the year.
Lazaga said his team has improved their play from a strategy standpoint and he was pleased to see it pay off for his team. "We've made some tactical adjustments for our personnel and style in the last couple of weeks and they looked much more comfortable with it. I'm proud of them and hopefully these are some positive steps towards becoming habits that carry on to more success".
Jessup will look to grab their first-weekend sweep of the conference season when they play San Diego Christian Saturday at 12 p.m.
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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) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat).
