Senior Johnny Alcaraz of Santa Barbara and sophomore Dillon Barna of Phoenix, Arizona have been named to the All-Golden State Athletic Conference team for their contributions to Westmont men’s soccer in 2007.

“It goes without saying that the attacking pieces we had in our team were built around Johnny,” said head coach Dave Wolf. “The same is true of the defending pieces – they were built around Dillon. So these two players were really the critical cornerstones for the attack and defense respectively.”

Alcaraz scored 11 goals and added five assists to lead the Warriors this season with 27 points (two points for a goal, one point for an assist). Alcaraz has led the Warriors in both goals and points each of his three years at Westmont. Alcaraz’ 1.59 points per game and 0.65 goals per game was fifth best in the GSAC this season.

Forty-eight hours after defeating top-ranked Azusa Pacific on the road, Westmont men’s soccer found itself facing #5 Fresno Pacific in the semifinals of the NAIA Region II Tournament. Westmont had won four games in a row to get to Fresno, outscoring their opponents 12-1. But Fresno turned out to be the end of the road for the Warriors who lost to the Sunbirds in overtime by a score of 2-1.

Fresno Pacific (17-2-1) drew first blood when Amaury Nunes scored in the eleventh minute on a penalty kick. The ball barely squeaked under the outstretched hand of junior goalkeeper Josh Etherton. Westmont (9-8) evened the score in the fifty second minute when senior Johnny Alcaraz, playing with an injured hamstring, sent a shot over the keeper after receiving a pass from junior Jon Schoff.

[stats]

Two goals within an eight minute stretch and a solid defensive performance were all that Westmont men’s soccer needed to upset the top-ranked Azusa Pacific Cougars (16-1-1) in the first round of the NAIA Region II Tournament on Thursday. The Warriors’ 2-1 victory allows Westmont (9-7) to advance to the semifinals on Saturday at #5 Fresno Pacific. Westmont brings a four-game winning streak into the one o’clock contest - a streak in which the Warriors have outscored their opponents 12-1.

The loss was the first this season for the Cougars who have only allowed nine goals all year. Westmont has scored four of those goals, having lost to Azusa Pacific 2-3 in overtime on October 3. Only two teams have scored more than one goal against Azusa Pacific in a single game – Westmont has done so twice.

[box]

By virtue of a 2-0 win over California Baptist (6-10-1, 2-8) on Saturday, Westmont Men’s Soccer (8-7, 4-6) has qualified for the NAIA Region II Tournament which will begin on Thursday, November 1. The Warriors are seeded at number eight and will play at top-seeded Azusa Pacific (16-0-1, 9-0-1) at 1:00 p.m.

On Saturday, junior midfielder Jonathon Schoff set up both of the Warriors goals. Eighteen minutes into the game, Schoff crossed the ball into the box and found junior midfielder Sammy Montemer who finished the opportunity to give Westmont a 1-0 lead. In the thirty-fifth minute, another pass from Schoff’ went to freshman Dan Sargent who put the ball away to account for Westmont’s second goal.

[stats]

Westmont’s junior goalkeeper Justin Etherton of Yorba Linda has been named the Golden State Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week. Etherton recorded two shutouts last week as Westmont defeated Biola 5-0 and San Diego Christian 3-0. Against Biola, Etherton posted four saves and then tallied five more against San Diego Christian.

“In my estimation, defending awards come down to more than just the individual that gets recognized,” said Westmont head coach Dave Wolf. “It is a complement to the back four as well as to Justin. The defense is the most consistent part of our team – the part of the team that we have changed the least. We have played consistently with Sergio (Hernandez-Leor), Saul (Moreno), Dillion (Barna) and Scott Williams. Joe Benscoter is part of that recognition as well, even though he hasn’t played as much as Justin. I see the goalkeeping performance as collaboration between those two players.”

Etherton attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in his freshman season and transferred to Westmont for the start of his sophomore year. This season, Etherton has notched 39 saves this season and has a goals-against-average of 1.23 in 12 contests.

Three first-half goals by senior midfielder Johnny Alcaraz and a five-save shutout by junior Justin Etherton resulted in Westmont Men’s Soccer recording their third conference win of the season, a 3-0 victory over San Diego Christian (6-9, 0-8). The Warriors (7-7, 2-6), out shot the Hawks 14-9 in the game and recorded nine shots on goal to the Hawk’s five.

Alcaraz’ first goal came on a penalty kick in the eleventh minute of play to give the Warriors an early lead. In the eighteenth minute, the senior captain extended the lead off an assist from freshman Dan Sargent. Alcaraz scored again just before the end of the first half on an unassisted goal. The hat trick is the first for Alcaraz in his collegiate career.

[stats]

Westmont men’s soccer released any frustration it may have been feeling on the Eagles of Biola (6-10, 2-6) on Wednesday at Russ Carr Field. The Warriors scored early and often on their way to a 5-0 shutout, bringing an end to a six game skid.

“I thought we were superb the first half,” said head coach Dave Wolf. “The guys put it all together in the first half. The bits and pieces we’ve seen at different times during the season - they all showed up that first half and it was a thorough display.”

[stats]

The Warriors placed seven of their 11 shots on goal, but could not find the back of the net as Westmont men’s soccer (5-7, 1-6) lost to Concordia (13-0, 7-0) on Saturday by a score of 1-0.

The Warriors kept pace with the NAIA’s top-ranked team in the up-tempo game as both squads produced 11 shots. But the Eagles’ Mickey Mendoza scored in the twentieth middle for the top of the box to give Concordia the win. Westmont cleared the ball from in front of the goal after a corner kick by Mike Visser. Medonzza retrieved the ball in the center of the field and fired a shot which soared under the crossbar.

[stats]