This is familiar territory for The Master's University women's soccer team.
A quarterfinal victory in the GSAC Tournament to move on to the conference semifinals.
It had happened the previous three years and it happened once again on Saturday when the third-seeded Mustangs defeated Menlo 3-1 on Reese Field.
"Glad to get three goals and also to get a shutout in the second half," said TMU head
Curtis Lewis.
The club's second win over Menlo this season sends the Mustangs (12-4-3) on to a semifinal matchup with No. 2 seed Vanguard next Thursday at Westmont College.. Game time is 11 a.m.
On a day when the seniors were playing their final game on the Reese Field turf, two seasoned veterans sparked the Mustangs – a freshman issued some insurance.
Just over eight minutes into play, fifth-year senior
Sarah Stead put one past Oaks' goalie Michelle Gonzalez for a 1-0 lead.
It was Stead's fifth goal of the season and gave her 14 points, the second-highest mark on the team.
That slightest of advantages lasted for over 20 minutes until Menlo's Kori-Ann Koverman tied the match in the 29th minute, beating TMU goalie
Lacey Lehman.
"Koverman is a dangerous forward and she punished us with their one shot in the first half," Lewis said.
In fact, it was Menlo's only shot on goal in the match, evidence of a dominating Mustang defense.
On the offensive side of the field, the Mustang offensive attack was just as overpowering, firing 16 shots on goal.
Stead's goal was the club's first shot on goal and six more would follow until the Mustangs snapped the deadlock.
It came in the match's 53rd minute when
Suzanne Mabie, off an assist from fellow senior
Hannah Bahr, beat Gonzalez to put the Mustangs ahead to stay.
Mabie's goal was her fifth of the season, tying Stead and
Kayla Sims for third on the squad, and her second game-winner of the campaign.
The attack on the Menlo goal continued and it paid off one more time in the 66th minute with freshman Elizabeth Radmilovic kicking one past Gonzalez to give TMU some room to breathe.
Fellow first-year player
Anay Garcia assisted on her teammate's second goal of the year.
With another quarterfinal win in the books, the Mustangs turn their focus on Vanguard, a squad that beat them 3-1 on October 3.
A win over the Lions would vault the Mustangs into the GSAC championship game next Saturday.
"Three goals and moving on is always a good day," said Lewis.
