TMU gets dominant road win over LPU

The Master's women's soccer team scored three in the first half and three in the second to defeat the Life Pacific Warriors 6-0 Saturday in a game played at Citrus College in Glendora, Calif.
 
The Mustangs took 36 shots compared to the Warriors' three, with 14 of those shots on goal.
 
It was the third shutout of the season for the Mustangs (9-3, 6-2 GSAC) and an important bounce-back win after losing to No. 15 Embry-Riddle on Wednesday.

"We played well in that last game, but it wasn't pretty losing 4-1," said TMU Head Coach Esteban Chavez. "So bouncing back from that is good. Getting the shutout (Saturday) and scoring multiple goals was good. We had to be very patient, which is hard. It took us a little bit to get one in, which is good because you don't want to force it."
 
The scoring got started 28:51 into the first half when Bryanna Elias found herself with space in the left corner of the LPU zone. She maneuvered around a player then sent a cross 10 yards in front of the goal where Harmony Rohde collected the ball and popped it over the keeper into the right side of the net.
 
Less than nine minutes later, Breanna Fajardo collected a pass from Bekah Micu and fired a shot from 20 yards out that slipped past the keeper. 
 
Then less than four minutes to play in the half, Elias sent a corner kick to the front of the box where Madison Smith headed the ball into the net. It was the junior defenseman's first collegiate goal and it gave the Mustangs a 3-0 halftime lead.
 
In the 78^th minute, Elias once again sent a corner kick in front of the goal. The ball bounced off several players, eventually getting to the foot of Kegan Brunneman about seven yards out in front of the goal. The freshman booted the ball through a maze of legs and into the goal to make it 4-0 TMU.
 
The fifth goal of the game came nearly two minutes later when Rohde collected a deep pass in the right corner of the Warriors' zone, sent a cross to the front of the box where Sinclair Francescon used her right foot to shoot the ball between a defender and the keeper.
 
The sixth and final goal came with 2:29 to play when another corner was played by Rohde. The ball pinballed around several players before emerging at the top of the box where Freshman Crystal Casas was waiting and fired a shot with her left foot into the net. It was her first collegiate goal.
 
Elias was credited with three assists in the game, with Rohde and Casas each collected one.

"Elias has broken out of her shell in the last few games," Chavez said. "As a defender, she is now getting forward and utilizing her speed, anticipating the play and getting into the attack."

Once again Grace LaCroix started in goal for the Mustangs and finished with one save. And even though her numbers were low, she has caught the attention of her head coach.

"Grace didn't get tested a lot, but her anticipation a couple of times made what could have been a dangerous play not a dangerous play was good," Chavez said. "Whenever she was tested or was asked to make decisions, she was on top of it. She was very solid for us."
 
The Master's will be on the road in Arizona next week starting with a match on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. against Park-Gilbert. Then on Saturday TMU will be in Chandler, Ariz, to play Benedictine Mesa in a 9 a.m. game.