The California Lutheran University Regals (12-2-4) defeated the University of Redlands Bulldogs (7-10-1) by a score of 4-1 on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The Regals were able to secure the victory with three goals in the last ten minutes of the match.ย
Cal Lutheran was up 1-0 at halftime and for most of the second half of the game. Senior midfielder Elisa Shott scored the opening goal for the Regals.
โI saw the ball rebound up onto the goalie and I just went in and I finished it. Tears were forming because it was one of those goals that kick-started everyone’s energy to rise again. I was just so excited and ready to continue,โ Shott said.
The Bulldogs tied the game in the 67th minute, making the score 1-1. The floodgates then opened for the Regals in the 80th minute when the team scored three unanswered goals. Senior defender and captain Avery West started the rally.ย
โWhen coach puts me up top itโs like I have to grind for the goals. It was another one of those goals where it was body on the line for the team just to get us back on our feet,โ West said.ย
Junior midfielder Ashley Escamilla and senior midfielder Adriana Maroney capped off the Regalsโ scoring run with goals in the 81st and 89th minutes, respectively. Escamillaโs goal was assisted by Shott.ย
โIt was all part of the script. It was monumental to be able to score in my last game at home under the lights. It was awesome, especially against this team,โ Shott said.ย
Shott said that the last time these two teams faced off at Redlands, a Bulldog player threw the ball at a Cal Lutheran playerโs face. Shott said that added a little more motivation to the game.
The Regals were dominant on the offensive side of the field, finishing the game with 29 shots to the Bulldogโs eight.ย
โI didnโt like our approach in the first half. I thought we struggled. We turned it on in the second half. We were creating chances, but could not finish, and then we gave up the goal. After we gave up the goal, that is when we started to play and that is the way we should have played the whole game,โ Head Coach Frank Marino said.
Marino said he would like to see his team approach the game better and be more locked in and focused right when the game starts. He also said that he wants to see improvement in possession, movement off the ball and final-third finishing.ย
โOur whole struggle this year has been fighting in the first half. I think we struggle to get our pace and find goals. The second half is always high intensity,โ West said.ย
West said she would like to see the team bring an equal amount of energy into the first and second halves. She also said that has been a point of emphasis that Coach Marino has been adamant about.ย
Marino said that overall the season has been great. The team only finished with two losses on the season which were both to the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens. He also said he was pleased that the team had no out-of-conference losses on the year. He said the teamโs 12-win season was a good one.ย
โOur goal this season is to make the NCAA tournament. At the end of the day, you want to make the tournament. We have to try to find a way to win the conference tournament to get in or hopefully, we can get an at-large bid. The goal right now is to put ourselves back in the NCAA tournament so we have a chance to make some noise,โ Marino said.ย
The Regals are set to host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m.
