August 24, 2023
Firing on All Cylinders, Warriors Start Strong
By Francisco Claudio
The Westcliff men's soccer team put on a show Wednesday night as they shut down Life Pacific, 8-0.
This game was originally planned for Monday evening, but it had to be rescheduled due to weather conditions.
That didn't deter the Warriors who have been feeling upbeat and optimistic with the way training camp and the preseason have gone so far.
"The guys have been training very hard the last three weeks and we're very focused on setting a high standard for our program," Westcliff head coach Randy Dodge said.
It didn't take long for the Warriors to make an impact on the game as Quentin Hornung found the back of the net seven minutes into playing time.
Westcliff didn't let up and five minutes later were up 2-0 with a goal from Wissem Obeid.
John Adekunle and Diego Montes scored one goal apiece as the Warriors went into the locker room up, 4-0.
The Warriors continued their momentum from the first half, with Obeid scoring his second goal off a pass from Adekunle within the first three minutes of the second half.
"We had some really good passing sequences that resulted in a couple of great goals," Dodge said. "We have such an attacking mindset within the team that we have to defend as a group within our lines.
"That's something throughout the year we will get better but right now it's back to the basics defending-wise."
Jordan Di Lonardo and Lucas Rosell joined the party as they scored one goal apiece.
But Hornung wasn't done, as he scored his second goal in the 62nd minute which now put him as the Westcliff Warriors' all-time leading scorer with 21.
Before the game, Hornung was tied with Felix Kogler as the all-time leading scorer with 19 goals each.
The team was able to convert at a high efficiency as they scored eight goals out of the 13 shots taken.
The Warriors' goalkeepers were tested only four times with three saves coming in the first half.
Now, the Warriors have earned their first win of the season and are 1-0.
"After these first few games, the guys are really putting in the things we have been working on in practice," Dodge said. "The big takeaway from this game is that we had a lot of adversity traveling up there and playing on a very small and difficult field but we were able to come out in a positive way.
"The guys have a great spirit about them and are positive and competitive with each other. As the season progresses it will only get stronger."
Up Next: The Warriors will host their first game at home as they play against Bethesda University on Tuesday, August 29, at 7PM. The game will be played at the OC Great Park.