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The Cougars advance to the Region II semifinals with four second half goals to win 5-1.

For the last 12 years, Westmont College’s women’s soccer team has advanced to the National Tournament. This year, for the first time since 1995, they didn’t.

In 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2003, the Warriors won the National Championship. And this year, with their strong offensive attack, the APU women’s soccer team smashed Westmont 5-1 ending their 2007 season permanently.

After a sluggish first half, the onslaught began with a key goal by leading scorer, sophomore forward Teresa Broad. Freshman midfielder Lynsey Domene stole the ball and passed it forward to Broad breaking on the right side. All alone in the offensive box, Broad propelled the ball past the Warrior goalkeeper for the second goal of the game.

The Cougars momentum ignited from there. Five minutes later, the Broad and Domene duo was at it again. Domene stole another pass, this time off Westmont sophomore midfielder Amanda Barret and projected a long leading pass to Broad. The Cougars’ forward sent the ball into the right side of the net, putting the women up 3-0.

The Warriors’ only goal came with a minute thirty left as Barret picked off a pass in APU’s box and sent it flying back at Cougar goalie senior Jill Colfer-Martinson.

Shortly after APU senior midfielder/forward Sara Odenthal crushed any hopes of a Warrior rally projecting a 25-foot missile past freshman goalkeeper Roxanne Love’s fingertips brushing the crossbar and into the net.

“I got the goal I’ve always wanted,” Odenthal said. “To actually shoot from that far out and not have it go over. They didn’t mark me, and it’ nice to have all that space. I saw the goalie going up and I thought she was going to get her fingers on it and tip it over, but it went in.”

Last year, the Warriors finished 14-6-1, second in GSAC with a 7-2-1 record. The only team above them was the Cougars. Exacting revenge on a team with four recent NAIA titles, the Cougars kicked Westmont out of the quarterfinals last year 1-0. Adding insult to injury, after 11-straight national tournament runs, the Warriors watched their season shatter after an explosive Cougar team out-ran, out-powered and out- scored them for 90 minutes.

“It was definitely motivation for us,” Broad said. “I had no clue how often they used to beat us in the past, but [assistant coach] Janay McKinney and [athletic trainer] April Reed told us that Westmont had knocked them out so many times in the past. The thought that we could end their season now was pretty exciting. It was extra motivation, but we’re more excited about how the team is playing together.”

Westmont has ended the Cougars season seven times. They knocked them out of the regional playoff game five straight times and out of the National title game in 2002.

“I don’t know how long it’s been since they haven’t gone to nationals, but to know that we ended that is a pretty big thing,” senior midfielder Randie Massro said.

The Warriors fatigued early in the game, falling behind in physical and mental toughness.

“I never thought [the season] would be cut this short,” Warrior senior defender Lindsay Milone said. “Every year I’ve played, we’ve gone to Nationals and I came in with them having won it three years in a row. We really thought this was the year.”

Junior midfielder/forward Sarah Yoro scored two of the five goals, including the only goal in the first half. Yoro went right and then cut left, sending a shot off the goalie’s hands and into the next. Her last goal came after a quick dance in the box, spinning left and firing a shot into the net.

“We knew Westmont was going to come out as hard as they could because of the fact that if they lost, their season would be over,” Yoro said. “They came out really physical against us. After we got the first one, we got a little bit more momentum.”

The final score reflected the feeling of the game. The Cougars smashed the Warriors, attacking the Santa Barbara team, not just with the ball, but without it as well.

“I’ve always thought we’re a pretty fit team, but I think our ability to knock the ball around today tired them out,” head coach Jason Surrell said. “We really got in a pretty good rhythm today, and it’s tough to run around and chase for 90 minutes.”

Preparing for the road to Nationals, the Cougars have spent extra time watching game film, highlighting strengths and pointing out weakness. Their strategy for the 2007 journey to the National Championship is simple: move the ball and move even better without the ball. They hope to continue to build on what has rewarded them a 14-1-1 (10-0 GSAC) record.

“We need to keep doing what we’re doing,” Surrell said. “We want to keep building on where we’re at, and I feel like we’ve been doing that. About the middle of conference play, we kind of hit a plateau, but I think we’ve made that next little step and we want to build on that.”