RECEIVING VOTES

By Brandon Petersen

Wow.

Now that's a result that will turn some heads around the NAIA.

The Westcliff men's soccer team stood toe-to-toe with No. 4 Cumberlands (Ky.) on Saturday and walked away with a 1-1 draw at the UNOH Labor Day Classic in Lima, OH, confirming they do indeed belong in the national conversation.

The Patriots struck first in the 19th minute when Bruno Marques scored off an assist from Samuel Dolobaipu.

But the Warriors refused to wilt.

In the 56th minute, Jordan Di Lonardo leveled the match with an unassisted goal, sparking energy through the Westcliff sideline and setting the tone for the second half.

With the goal, Di Lonardo moved to within eight goals of the Quentin Hornung's all-time program scoring mark.

From there, the Warriors' defense locked in.

Goalkeeper Olly Scott turned away five shots, while the back line bent but never broke against a relentless Cumberlands attack.

The Pats fired off 14 shots to Westcliff's nine.

"It was a great result on the road. I think we're a little upset we didn't get the win," head coach Randy Dodge said. "For most of the game, it was back and forth. Our back line was good. Our goalkeeping was good. But the guys just really are starting to build what we're trying to do. They're believing in our system. We're believing in our style and how we're doing things."

Dodge praised several Warriors who rose to the challenge, including defender Toby Squire, and said the performance shows the group is on par with the nation's best.

"Yeah, they're the number four team in the country. They've done some great things in the past, and we feel that we're at that level," Dodge said. "We need to make sure that we turn around and take care of Monday to finish off the trip. But it's been a great result for us on the road. The boys have been playing really well, and we've been having a lot of good times."

The Dubs (2-0-1) will finish their trip Monday with another national showcase, this time against Northwestern Ohio, before returning home for a Saturday showdown with Eastern Oregon.

No doubt, the Warriors will be receiving more votes by then.