Junior forward Bri Johnson scored a goal in each half on Thursday to spark No. 22 Westmont (6-1) to its sixth straight women’s soccer win over previously unbeaten and No. 1-ranked William Carey (7-1) at the Georgia Gwinnett Tournament in Lawrenceville, Ga.
“In our pre-game scouting, we felt strongly that they hadn’t been tested in the back,” explained Warrior head coach Jenny Jaggard. “We decided to try and press them and we went out and followed that game plan. I figured we’d be lucky if we had 50% of the ball, but then the press was working and we were winning the ball. We had the majority of the possession today.”
Westmont turned their pressing defense into offense and broke the scoreless tie in the 38th minute when Johnson played a pass into the box, shifted the ball from her right foot to left and crushed it into the back of the net.
“Once we got that first goal you could see they (William Carey) weren’t used to being behind,” said Jaggard. “Our players saw that the press was working and then when we scored, we just pulled together as a team. You could just feel the unity of what we were doing out there for the rest of the game.”
The defending national champion Crusaders entered the game having only allowed a single score in their previous seven games but were outshot on goal 9-5 by the Warriors. The Warriors’ second goal arrived in the 55th minute off an assist by Kira Nemeth to Isabelle Berthoud.
“The ball was deflected out and Kira made a huge effort, got to it and sent it back in,” described Jaggard. “Izzy was just so cool-headed, she stuttered her feet, waited for the ball to drop at the right height and then just placed it – it couldn’t have been a better placed ball.”
Less than 10 minutes later, Westmont put away its third score in impressive fashion.
“We were in our back half with the ball and it got cleared out to Bri who knocked it down to her feet and proceeded to dribble the ball down the field for 60 yards, past three defenders, got to the six and just places it in the net,” recounted Jaggard. “An amazing display of dribbling.”
The Warriors’ defense also played to recent form with their fifth shutout in the past six matches. Goalkeeper Gabi Haw stopped five shots for saves and the back and middle was effectively controlled by Westmont all game.
“Teagan Matye, the work she did was awesome – defensively no one got through her,” noted Jaggard on her midfielder. “She was everywhere doing everything – it was incredible to watch her timing, she was just so on.
“Savannah Scott shut down one of the best players in the nation, Ana Paula Santos. She was obviously the pivot of their team and Savanah just shut her down,” continued Jaggard, “Freshman Grace Duckens got her first start and she was absolutely phenomenal. She was beating people one-on-one down the line. Her defending was on. She was in the right places all game. She played like a senior today.
“This was a tremendously beautiful team effort. Everyone was just so sharp, they just played their hearts out,” complimented Jaggard.
The Warriors will return to the Grizzly Soccer Complex at Georgia Gwinnett on Saturday to face No. 15 Mobile (Ala.) at 2 p.m. PDT.