Seventh-ranked Westmont Women’s Soccer overcame an early goal and deposed No. 4 Benedictine 4-2 in a non-conference battle of NAIA top-ten teams.
The Ravens wasted no time in their home season opener when Maddison Sanders scored a goal 45 seconds into the game.
“That first 45 seconds was a good wakeup call,” said Westmont coach Chantel Cappuccilli. “Our ability to come back from that goal is important to me — yes lets fix the mistake, but mentally I appreciated our ability to hone in and regroup.”
The Warriors not only equalized the score before halftime, they took a 2-1 lead when Brooke Lillywhite scored two goals in under 10 minutes – one in the 26 and 34th minutes.
The Warriors headed into the half with a 2-1 lead. Benedictine’s Rosie McShane scored just five minutes into the second half to knot the match.
The next 18 minutes were scoreless until in the 78th minute when Westmont freshman Maddi Berthoud scored her first ever collegiate goal for a 3-2 lead.
“One of our wide runners switched the point of attack,” explained Cappuccilli, “and crossed it across the six yard box where it was jumbled around. Maddi collected the ball and slotted it into the goal to give us the lead.”
Five minutes later, the Warriors’ Haley Parzonko finished off the Ravens with a decisive fourth goal. Destinee Adams headed a crossed ball into the six yard box and Parzonko taped it into the net.