COSTA MESA, Calif. - In an afternoon matchup game for the Golden Eagles, they took on a newcomer to the PacWest, the Vanguard Lions.

With the Lions celebrating their seniors for senior night, there seemed to be an extra spark of energy for their entire team on and off the field. The Golden Eagles seemed to be off their game by just a step behind every pass and breakaway, and they didn't seem to play the brand of soccer that got them their #10 spot in the nation.

After the half ended 0-0, the Golden Eagles looked to turn the game around in the second half. Despite a new half, one little communication error caused CUI to give up the game's first goal to the Lions. After the goal, a fire was ignited under the Golden Eagles because they went on to score three goals within a span of seven minutes.

The first goal scorer from CUI was Bella Barrett, who made a sweet spin move around her defender and scored a solo goal in the 62nd minute. About six minutes later, Ashley Grubert found Sophia Munoz, who absolutely blasted it over the top of the goalie with about a 25-yard goal from a free kick. Not 30 seconds after, Irandy Erazo found the back of the net for a third goal from the Golden Eagles, assisted by Nikki Marino, making it a 3-1 game.

For the cherry on top, Sarah Venegas added one more breakaway score for the Golden Eagles total, making it a 4-1 win for CUI. This win marks a PacWest conference tournament birth for the Golden Eagles!

To follow more women's soccer, CLICK HERE to view their full schedule and follow along as they head into the postseason. Don't forget to attend senior night on November 9th, 2024, to celebrate and support both the men's and women's seniors.