Warriors beat Concordia 1-0 in OT in GSAC Playoffs (Round 1)

Midway through the first half, a Concordia striker sent a dangerous ball through the six-yard box. Matt McNab (Fresh, GK) got a hand on it but the ball rolled across the goal mouth to a waiting Eagle midfielder. At that moment, Justin Miller (Sr, Defender) desperately threw his body in front of the shot and prevented a sure-to-be goal. That play was the essence of today's 1-0 playoff victory: some close-calls but more importantly, a lot of heart. After relatively uneventful first half, the game heated up quickly as both teams exchanged looks on goal. However, just one minute into overtime, Hugo Pizano sent a through ball into Daniel Torres who collected it and gave a lead pass to a streaking Isaac Thompkins (Fresh., Forward). Thompkins calmly took a touch and struck a shot near post to send the Warriors into the next round of playoffs. The team, coming off this emotional victory, will face a tough opponent in Master's College on Saturday afternoon at their field. Thank you to the alumni that attended the game and we look to see some of you next game!

Some team interviews and clips from the game:

Pizano,Harrell Propel Warriors 4-0 past Vanguard

Off the opening kickoff, Doug Harrell (Soph., Forward) swiftly beat a defender down the right flank and earned the team a corner kick. From that moment on, Westmont never relented putting in 4 goals and playing solid defense for the full 90 minutes. Harrell initiated the scoring in the first 10 minutes by collecting a rebound shot, beating a defender and slotting it near post. Soon after, Isaac Thompkins (Fresh., Forward) outran the left back and sent a firm cross through the center of the box which was dummied by Dan Sargent (Jun., Forward) and calmly slotted home by Hugo Pizano (Sen., Midfielder). In the second half, after a sustained attack on net, Pizano found a loose ball on the top of the box and laced a ball past the outstretched keeper for his second goal of the game. With 20 minutes remaining, Doug Harrell followed suit by elevating over the defense to head in a corner kick by Harrison Hill (Jun., Forward). Overall, it was a breakthrough game for the team characterized by renewed energy and focus that will hopefully carry into Wednesday's playoff match-up vs. Concordia University.

After the bus ride home, I had chance to hear some of Doug Harrell's thoughts. The video is below: