By Brandon Petersen
Let's break from tradition, bust down the fourth-wall, and ignite this gamer with a little recognition, perhaps even a high-five or two, for one Taylor Gayer — a true Warrior.
Gayer, a senior, a great-spirit, and a comeback-kid all rolled into one, collected her first win as keeper on Sr. Night Thursday at the Great Park, where the Westcliff women's soccer team celebrated in style with a 4-0 sheet of Providence Christian.
The Warriors' senior keeper finished with three saves in a complete-match, shutout performance.
"A clean sheet for Taylor Gayer on Senior Night is very pleasing," Westcliff head coach Jack Gidney said. "A big win, and a clean sheet, to honor our seniors."
Gayer wasn't the only senior on the pitch Thursday night, and she wasn't the only senior who battled back from catastrophic injury in her junior season.
Celebrating alongside her were Saray Castaneda, Grace Zavaleta, Jada Ware, Blair Gunderson, Ashley Sanchez, Merima Boehler, Maria Mendez and Sarah Taghaboni — a group of 2023 Westcliff graduates that includes players who will forever be credited with kickstarting women's soccer with a 9-1-1 inaugural season and, in the process, proving that a fledgling athletic program could beat the odds again and again.
The improbable success women's soccer established at Westcliff has now become routine.
Thursday night's result is evidence enough.
With the win over Providence, Westcliff secured a first-round bye in the Cal Pac tournament and cemented its second-place league finish.
"A big win," Gidney said. "And a clean sheet to confirm ourselves as the second place in Cal Pac. Fantastic conference play from the group."
The Warriors finished the regular season at 10-4-2 overall, and 9-3 in conference, earning themselves an automatic bid to the Cal Pac semifinals.
If Westcliff wins its first tournament match, it is likely to face Cal Pac regular season champion, Embry-Riddle, in the championship, fulfilling Gidney's prediction, and allowing the Warriors to face the Eagles on California sod, under the beating Inland Empire sun in Riverside.
Thursday night's win was pretty textbook for the Warriors.
For the first 25 minutes they poked and prodded at Providence, finding their pace, and areas of opportunity.
Then, like a viper, they struck, quickly, with precision, providing a deadly result.
"Another low block," Gidney said. "(Providence) did a good job of slowing the game down in the first 25. We had to keep probing for the right opportunities. Once we got the first, we took confidence from it and started to up the tempo."
Thea Sofie Kanestrom, perhaps the Warriors' most lethal striker, went about her hat trick performance like a veteran.
Angelina Espinal hooked her up in the 40th and she high-kicked a drive past keeper for a 1-0 advantage.
In the 49th, she found a rebound and easily redirected it into net. Three minutes later, Kanestrom secured her hattie with a precision roller she guided after finding the rock amongst a chaotic swarm in the box.
Espinal, who seems to score every time she steps foot on the pitch, collected her goal in the 42nd minute on a help from the ever-present Christine Thorvaldsen, a pair that is likely to receive Cal Pac recognition in the coming days.
Of course, the same could be said for a number of Warriors after the season they just had.
"We wait for the semifinal," Gidney said.
So does the rest of Westcliff, as it sends women's soccer to La Sierra for the Cal Pac Championships.
Both Westcliff and Embry-Riddle will sit out the first round, which begins Nov. 5.
Nov. 10, Westcliff will play in the semifinal against the highest remaining seed.
