And there was plenty of defense on display from the hosts, for whom sophomore goalie Jillian Foss made six saves, including one spectacular stop in the 39th minute that was the worst of a steady stream of offensive frustration for the Lancers (10-4, 5-2).
“In a nutshell, that save gave our team confidence that [a goal for Cal Baptist, which had outscored foes, 25-10, coming in] wasn’t going to happen on our watch,” Dodge said.
Foss, a transfer from San Diego State, said she anticipated a blast from Lancers senior forward Vanessa Wellman , which allowed her to dive to her right and deflect the ball just wide of the far post.
“Randy told us before the game that [Wellman] liked to turn and shoot,” Foss said. “So, I was on my toes getting ready for her to do that. As soon as I saw her set up, I just already knew to take off and that’s how I got it.”
Junior co-captain Emelia Miller helped Foss guide a back line that included freshmen Kristin Rice and Kaitlin McGhee Tuesday, as the Lions staved off seven corner kicks, 16 shots and a handful of crosses that, had they found Cal Baptist players, might have tied the game at any point.
“[Cal Baptist] is a very good offensive team,” Dodge said. “And once we went ahead, [the Lancers] became a little more passionate about what they were doing.”
Rice, who triggered her team’s scoring sequence, also made a game-changing save, retreating behind Foss, who had charged out of the goal, and then booting away a shot that had gotten by Foss and was headed for the net. Rice cleared the ball just before it crossed the goal line.
