SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. – As the Mustangs traveled down winding, tree-lined Montecito roads, reflecting on a 1-0 loss to No. 11 Vanguard in a Golden State Athletic Conference tournament semifinal here Thursday, a pair of plays stood out to coach
Curtis Lewis.
"Those were two top-tier saves," the coach told someone.
Indeed, senior goalie
Lacey Lehman made two of her best saves of the season before the Mustangs nearly scored the equalizer in the game's final seconds. But, the goal was not to be and Master's was left to wait until Monday when the NAIA releases its national tournament field to learn which way its season will turn.
"I think us beating Westmont helped put us in a good spot," Lehman said of TMU's win over the then-No. 6 Warriors last month. "But we really won't know until Monday. I think things are going our way, with how other tournaments are playing out, but we're trusting the Lord and hoping."
Lehman, who finished with six saves, said the Mustangs (12-5-3) focused in their postgame huddle on how much improvement they showed in their second meeting with Vanguard this season. On Oct. 3, the Mustangs lost 3-1 to the Lions. This time, Vanguard (12-2-2) didn't break a scoreless deadlock until the 61st minute.
"We really went after it and went tough into our tackles," Lehman said. "We left it all on the field today."
The Mustangs generated several dangerous opportunities over the course of the afternoon. At one point in the first half,
Kayla Peterson turned the corner and dribbled deep into Vanguard's penalty area. But Lions keeper Haley Magana made a lunging save, one of five saves she made in the match.
"She's an All-GSAC goalkeeper for a reason," Lewis said.
TMU's best opportunity came in its most dire moment. As the clock ticked under five seconds remaining in regulation,
Kyndel Borman flicked a cross deep into the six-yard box where
Shelby Willis got a touch on it. Again Magana was there to deny what would have been a charged celebration and a trip to overtime.
Vanguard will play No. 8 Westmont in the tournament championship game Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in Santa Barbara. The Lions' might have cruised to the final quite comfortably had it not been for TMU's keeper.
Both of Lehman's athletic saves occurred after halftime. The second, in the 60th minute, came immediately after the Mustang back line made a crucial turnover. All Lehman could do was dive and knock Ayanna Suarez's shot over the cross bar. The Mustangs failed to clear the ensuing corner kick, and Vanguard's Karla Navarro slotted a pass to Emily Miramontes, who turned and punched it into the back of the net.
After that, Master's struggled to create chances the way they had earlier in the game. Ultimately, the Lions out-shot TMU, 17-12, and came away with a 10-3 advantage in corner kicks.
"After the goal, we lost our way," said Lewis, whose team was attempting to advance to its first-ever GSAC final. The coach remained hopeful, however, that Master's would be selected as an at-large bid for the NAIA national tournament. The NAIA will release its opening round brackets on Monday at 9 a.m. PST on Facebook Live.
"I think we're in," Lewis said right after the game. "I think with our resume and a good loss here, a 1-0 loss to the No. 11 team in the country, we can hang our hat on the Westmont win. If we get into the tournament, it's because of that win. It speaks volumes."
