Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. --- In multiple ways, Biola has found itself in this place before. Coming into Thursday's semifinal match it has battled tough scoring opponents at home and won; it has seen everything the Westmont Warriors could throw at a defense and still won. With the help of their prior experience, the Eagles carried a single first half goal all the way to the final whistle to defeat the Warriors 1-0.

As one might expect, the Warriors came out the gates extremely fast. It only took the Warriors 72 seconds to force goalkeeper Christina Rodriguez to make her first save of the night and Westmont would follow that fast start with nine additional shots and two corner kicks in the first 25 minutes of play.

That 25th minute was significant because it took that long into the match for Biola to take its first try at goal. Up until Samantha Verduzco's header at 24:14, the match was firmly in Westmont's grasp and Biola was doing everything it could just to spit the ball out of the 18 yard box and send it toward midfield. There always seemed to be a Warrior at the end of those clearances though, so Biola needs to get credit for scrambling well on defense before it pushed the tide of play back into the Warrior's half.

But when things changed midway through the first half, it was the Eagles who took the lead in the tug-of-war. Biola found a way to push the ball into the Warriors back line and kept it in the offensive half for much of the latter part of the second half: inducing three fouls for set pieces against the Warriors in a span of five minutes.

And in the end, the Eagles worked efficiently enough to create their own breaks. Just before halftime, Rodriguez saved a shot from Warriors midfielder Destinee Adams and sent her customary kick forward arching over the midfield line. But this time, Rodriguez' kick just bounced differently and the tides turned.

Westmont defender Grace Lemley found herself on a in-between hop in her attempt to meet the ball in its descent and misplayed the ball as it went under her outstretched leg. The bounding ball gave Sarah Jeffries all the incentive she would need for a breakaway attempt: racing after the ball and beating Lemley to it, even though Jeffries was 10 yards further from the ball when they began their foot race.

Jeffries continued her run into the box, where she cut toward the left corner of the six as the Westmont keeper closed. But the forward proved she was ready and curved a beautiful shot with her weaker foot that just tucked into the far post to give Biola the lead four minutes before halftime. Since no other player touched the ball, Rodriguez is credited with her first collegiate assist on Jeffries goal.

Although both teams made the effort to produce more scoring, neither could manage very much in the second half. Westmont would take 12 shots in the second period, but only targeted one on goal as Rodriguez and the Biola defense assembled their familiar wall in front of goal and held the Warriors off the board the entire second half.

The trio of Madyson Brown, Bri Mikalson and Cat Newberry made their ever dependable, but always impressive, steps to the ball and one-on-one stops to shut down their share of Warrior threats. And the insertion of Brittni Coffeen into the backline also proved effective for Biola, as the junior from Redlands, CA stepped up in a big way in her first start of the season. Coffeen played all 90 minutes and made a huge impact with her extremely wide range of coverage up and down the right flank.

But discussion of the match begins and ends with Rodriguez. The freshman was clutch again for the Eagles on Thursday, deciding to come off her line at all the right moments in addition to making big time saves and punches of the ball. She earns her second shutout of the year against Westmont, which is an impressive feat in light of the 72 goals the Warriors scored in 19 matches coming into Thursday.

Biola will face the Vanguard Lions in the Golden State Athletic Tournament Finals on Saturday. The match is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Al Barbour Field with the No. 1 seed Lions designated as the home team.