Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola continued its blistering start to the season with another two goals and a shutout in a win against a physical Southern Oregon team. The win improves the Eagles' record to 4-0-0 and continues this stretch as Biola's best start since the 1998 team that started 6-0 and finished 10-5-1.
 
The offense, which has shined for the Eagles averaging 4.3 goals per contest, struggled to find its rhythm early against a physical Raiders team that would pick up seven fouls and three yellow cards during the match.
 
However, the offense came roaring to life in the second half behind Amanda Lillicrop and Taylor Venegas. Not even a minute into the second half, Lillicrop sailed through the Raider's defense to setup Venegas, who cannoned a shot from 20 yards out past the goalkeeper to put the Eagles up one. It was Venegas' team-leading fourth goal on the year.
 
"I'm proud of our girls to get that early goal in the second half," said Head Coach Todd Elkins. "After the first half, we were a little frustrated that we didn't score. So, we remedied that right away, and then we had to play a lot of defense but still created that second goal, which was huge."
 
While the offense is getting well-deserved praise and attention, Biola's defense has been just as, if not more, dominating this season. Through four games, the Eagles have given up just two goals, and they are allowing just 6.25 shots per match, an average that leads Golden State Athletic Conference this season and would have led GSAC by a shot and a half last season. 
 
With the defense playing aggressively, snuffing out opponent's counters and creating turnovers, the offense is allowed to counter and push up into the opponent's zone more and more. This happened exactly according to script for the Eagles' second, and final, goal of the match.
 
Amanda Otto cutoff a SOU pass in to the midfield and quickly dished it into the box to Ashley Ramirez. Ramirez, one of seven freshman who played in this match, made a quick feint that lost her defender and gave her the space to turn and fire the ball past the outstretched keeper to put the game away for the Eagles. 
 
The goal is already Ramirez's second of the season as she continues to cement her place in the starting lineup. She has started three of Biola's first four matches this season.
 
"We like Ashley [Ramirez] a lot…She's doing well in that we are expecting a lot of her and she is not disappointing or letting the gravity of starting as a freshman affect her," said Elkins. "She still has freshman moments or jitters sometimes, but it doesn't affect her negatively. Some players get down if they make a mistake or get criticized, but to the contrary she gets better every game." 
 
The Eagles look to continue their impressive play on Saturday as they start their five-game road trip in Prescott, Arizona, with a match against Our Lady of the Lake University.