LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Of course it would come to this, the No. 7 Lions and the No. 8 Eagles have been duking it out at the top of the Golden State Athletic Conference table all season, and now they are set for a date in the GSAC Tournament finals on Saturday night.
Vanguard finished the year with one more GSAC win and the regular season conference title, while Biola finished the entire regular season undefeated and won the only matchup between these two teams 1-0 on Oct. 1. It is only fitting that these two teams would meet again Saturday at 7:00 p.m. for an opportunity to settle the score on which team bests the other.
When it comes to evaluating tournament final participants, the evaluation almost always becomes a matter of splitting hairs. Although Vanguard has scored enough to manage 10 wins against conference opponents compared to Biola's nine this season, the Eagles have scored six more goals against GSAC teams than the Lions.
The Eagles also seem to have a deeper stable of scorers than the Lions. With Megan Chlentzos' overtime goal against The Master's on Thursday, Vanguard reached the impressive feat of having 10 individual players score goals against conference opponents, but that mark still falls short of the Eagles' 13 individual scorers in conference play, eight of whom have multiple goals.
The ability to score goals in multiple ways certainly helped the Eagles in their first matchup with the Lions in October. Without the requirement of forcing offense through a single channel, the Eagles were able to focus their early attention in the match on breaking down the Lions' offense and maintaining control of possession. The reward for Biola's work came late in the first half when a missile from right back Bri Mikalson took the Vanguard defense by surprise and gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead. The Biola defensive wall upheld that lead until the end of regulation.
But in the matches following their loss to Biola, the Lions have found a reliable offensive front that is headlined by five players: Danyelle Allen, Alex Bachman, Haley Bruce, Hayley Gonzales and Madison Lopp. That group combined for 10 goals and eight assists during the six-match win streak that Vanguard rode to the end of the regular season. Lopp, in particular, has been dangerous and is worth paying particular attention during the final; the junior forward leads the Lions with five goals against conference opponents and eight goals overall.
As for the Eagles, the thing to watch for in the finals will be the contributions Biola gets from its freshmen. With Sarah Jeffries' game-winner against Westmont in the GSAC semifinals, Biola now has eight goals from four different freshmen in the last seven matches. The capability of Biola's underclassmen implies that Head Coach Erin Brunelle will not be shy about using her bench and depending on substitutes in key moments during the final.
That freedom from taxing the starting 11 could play huge part in Biola's success on Saturday since both teams only have a day to rest and prepare for the final. It also means the stage is set for another unsung hero to step up for Biola on the big stage.
The kick off for the final is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The first 150 Biola students to come to the game will get in free courtesy Biola SGA.
