BIG WIN

By Brandon Petersen

A single strike was all it took.

Westcliff defender Toby Squire buried a free kick in the 75th minute, lifting the Warriors to a 1–0 win over Hope International in Thursday night's season opener at the OC Great Park.

Squire's goal, served in by midfielder Jordan Di Lonardo, came against the run of play in a match that had Westcliff on the back foot for much of the second half. The Warriors were outshot 6–1 before halftime but leaned on their experience to grind out a result.

"Credit to Hope," head coach Randy Dodge said. "They played us off the park in the second half, they were great. We're a seasoned team, got a lot of returners, and we found a way to score a great free kick. Great service from Jordan, great finish from Toby. Great seniors on our team, both leaders on our team who have been there and done that."

Hope generated seven shots overall, including three on frame, but couldn't solve Westcliff goalkeeper Olly Scott, who made three saves to earn the clean sheet. Frustration boiled over for both teams late and Hope starting keeper Berlin Torres was shown a red card in the 83rd minute.

It was a big win for the Warriors. But Dodge emphasized the need for improvement.

"I thought our back line was fantastic," Dodge said. "Didn't sub them out at all, but they were great. Didn't need to. But overall, I thought Hope was the better team and we found a way to win. This time of the year is almost like the end of the year time, you just gotta find ways to win."

Westcliff outshot Hope 17–7 and forced nine saves from Torres, but Dodge admitted the Warriors were fortunate to escape with the victory.

"You take that momentum and you start to create that wave," he said. "That synergy as you move forward. Not that I'm the most positive person in the world, but we gotta be held accountable for what we did, and how we played, and the decisions we made in crunch time," he said. "We gotta get better."

Westcliff (1–0–0) will look to build on the momentum Sunday when they travel to La Verne.

Next Saturday, the Dubs host Cumberlands of Kentucky, currently rated No. 4 in the NAIA.