TMU Insider: Ranked teams give Mustangs trouble

Michaela Rickard had three shots on goal in the Mustang's Saturday game against William Jessup. Photo courtesy TMU Athletics/Dhon Wellons.
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By Mike Crawford
For The Signal

Last week, The Master’s University’s soccer and volleyball programs struggled against some of the strongest teams in the NAIA…

Women’s Soccer

The Master’s University women’s soccer team battled to a scoreless double-overtime draw with the William Jessup Warriors last Saturday in Rocklin.

Saturday’s tie moved TMU’s record to 5-4-3 and 1-2-1 in Golden State Athletic Conference play.

TMU’s Michaela Rickard, Whitney Gomillion, and Suzanne Mabie each tallied three shots in Saturday’s showing. Notably, Rickard posted three shots on goal. After 110 minutes of play, TMU goalkeeper Jessica Zubia recorded two saves.

As a team, the Mustangs outshot the Warriors 14-6 and fired a total of eight shots on goal.

Looking forward, the Mustangs return to action today when they host Hope International at 3:00 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

The Master’s University men’s soccer team was handed a gut-wrenching 2-1, double-overtime loss to William Jessup last Saturday afternoon in Rocklin.

The defeat, marking the club’s first two-overtime defeat of the season, dropped the Mustangs to 7-4-1 overall and 2-2 in the GSAC where they sit alone in sixth place.

The end came with just 22 seconds (109:38) remaining in the second extra stanza when Jessup’s Michael Mazzoni, taking a pass from teammate Justin Soria, shot one by Mustang keeper Kyle Cunningham for the golden goal.

The game-winner unlocked a 1-1 tie that had existed since the 88:46 mark when TMU’s Jonathan Brown evened the match, scoring his first goal of the campaign off a Warrior deflection with just over a minute left in regulation.

Brown’s goal was one of only four shots on goal the Mustangs registered on the afternoon. The other three came off the foot of Lloyd Virgill, who just couldn’t get one past Warrior goalie Nick Schnable.

The Mustangs are back in action tomorrow when they return home to host first-place and undefeated Hope International (4-0 GSAC, 10-0-2 overall) at 3:00 p.m. at Reese Field.

Volleyball

The Master’s University volleyball team took on four teams ranked among the NAIA’s top 15 teams in one week.

Last Tuesday, the Mustangs fell to the No. 2 Westmont College Warriors in three sets. Then, over the weekend, TMU competed at the rigorous Spartan Invitational in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Mustangs fell to No. 14 Missouri Baptist after four close sets (17-25, 25-18, 17-25, 22-25) last Friday. The next day, TMU squared off against the No. 9 nationally-ranked Grand View Vikings and the fifth-ranked Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders, but dropped both matches after three sets.

After claiming a total of 29 kills by the end of the tournament, TMU’s Aubrey Pyburn was named to the 2016 Spartan Invitational All-Tournament Team.

“One of the greatest things we’ll take away from this weekend was that we saw what it takes to be a championship team based on what our opponents, some of the strongest teams in the NAIA, were doing,” said TMU head coach Allan Vince.

“We have a lot of room to grow, we have strong leadership, and I thought we got some really great experience which will strengthen us for the rest of our season.”

The Mustangs sit just outside of the NAIA’s Top 25 Poll, as TMU is currently 3-5 against ranked opponents.

Now, with a 14-9 overall record, the Mustangs return to California and prepare to resume their GSAC schedule. On Friday, TMU hosts Menlo College at 7 p.m., and then welcomes William Jessup University to Bross Court on Saturday for a 4 p.m. match.

For more information about The Master’s University Athletics, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @TMUAthletics.

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