LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Sophomore
Taylor Lundquist scored with a lofting shot from 20 yards out just 22 seconds into overtime as Biola upset No. 4 California Baptist 2-1 in a GSAC match on Tuesday night at Al Barbour Field.
The Eagles improve to 4-2-2 on the season and are now undefeated in three matches against ranked teams this season. Biola also moves to 1-0-1 in conference play. The Lancers, who held firm at No. 4 in the latest NAIA poll released today, suffer just their second loss and fall to 7-2-0 overall and to 1-1-0 in the GSAC.
"Overall I am very proud of the girls for picking up this win," said Head Coach
Todd Elkins. "Cal Baptist is such a strong team and they do a lot of things well. I was impressed with the way our team hung in especially after giving up the early goal. We fought off their efforts to go up two and got a big goal to force overtime."
Lundquist capped an impressive overall match by the Eagles with the fast overtime winning goal in program history. After starting with the ball in extra time, Biola strung a few passes together with
Sarina Coutin carrying the ball, spinning and then handing off to a wide-open Lundquist. The sophomore took a few steps then lofted a shot over the drawn out keeper for the match winner.
"I don't think that anyone expected the overtime to end as quickly as it did," said Elkins. "The upside of overtime is that if you can take advantage of any situation, then game over. For Taylor to get that goal was big. Persistence paid off for her in that situation. She's had a lot of shots, maybe more than some of our forward, but that was a great shot and ended the game."
After a game played mostly at midfield through the first half, California Baptist netted the first goal of the contest in the 58th minute. The Lancers, who had managed just two shots in the first half, had four shots early in the second. The last one came from Jacquelyn Witz, who received a pass from sister Bernadette and made a long run down the far side. She then fired a shot from a tough angle to beat the keeper far post.
Biola weathered a tough next 10 minutes as the Lancers looked for that important two-goal lead. But the Eagles withstood the test and made some great defensive plays. None was bigger than junior goalkeeper
Erin Frushon, who made a great leaping stop of a shot headed into the goal, tipping it above the bar in the 76th minute.
The Eagles, then started to pressure and created a couple of good chances, stringing together passes and getting deep into the Cal Baptist side. Biola finally broke through with the equalizing goal on a great effort by freshman
Victoria Dalla Zanna, who headed in a nice cross by senior
Amy Atkinson in the 79th minute.
After a relatively quiet final 10 minutes of regulation, the Eagles were able to get the win shortly after the overtime whistle for the big victory. It was Biola's first win over Cal Baptist since the 2004 season, though the Eagles had earned two ties in the last two home matches against the Lancers.
"It's a great win but it is just three points," said Elkins. "It was really big to get after the tie with San Diego Christian--a match we really thought we should have won. It made this one important for us to win. We need the points at this stage to reach our goal of making the playoffs (for the first time since 2005), but one win doesn't get you into the playoffs."
It was not really too much of a surprise that the match went into extra time. Five of Biola's eight matches this season have headed into overtime and the Eagles are 2-1-2 in those contests. Also, it was the fifth time in the last seven matches between Biola and Cal Baptist that regulation was not able to determine a victor.
The Lancers ended up outshooting the Eagles 11-9 and held a 6-1 edge in corner kicks. Frushon did a fantastic job in goal as she has all season, recording three saves to pick up the win.
Biola has a bye in the GSAC schedule this week, but returns to action on Wednesday (Oct. 6), hosting Westmont College in a conference clash at 7:00 p.m. on Al Barbour Field.
