The women’s soccer team’s 2-1 victory over the California Baptist University Lancers propelled them into the start of their Golden State Athletic Conference matchups, where they blew out the Arizona Christian University Firestorm 6-1 and improved to 7-0 overall and 1-0 in conference.

Ready for the next level

The Eagles bested the Lancers, their future National Collegiate Association of Athletes Division II PacWest conference competitor, in a 2-1 comeback victory.

Working with a one-goal deficit after the Lancers took the lead at 5:38, senior midfielder Jessie Burns tied the game with a half volley over the goalkeeper roughly 15 minutes later. With the game locked at one after the first period, senior midfielder McKenna Marmelstein scored the game-winning goal at 52:37 as the Eagles finished their non-league play with a win.  

Nearly everyone had a piece of the action in the Eagles’ blowout victory against the Firestorm. At the 2:28 mark, Burns delivered an early 1-0 lead with her third goal of the season. However, the lead was short-lived, as the Firestorm evened the score at 25:43. An offensive onslaught followed for Biola as the Eagles scored five goals by the end of regulation.

A long shot from outside the goal box from senior midfielder Kayla White regained the lead for the Eagles and propelled the team to a strong end of the first half. Just over a minute later, junior forward Samantha Verduzco followed suit and buffed the Eagles’ lead with her seventh goal of the season. With less than a minute remaining in the first period, junior forward Margaret Guadarrama headed in Biola’s fourth goal of the game.

Shortly into the second half, senior forward Taylor Venegas scored the Eagles’ fifth goal of the game and her fifth goal of the season. Later in the period, sophomore midfielder Madyson Brown scored the Eagles’ final goal of the game off a corner kick from senior midfielder Mariah Ziemer.

Disciplined in all areas

Coming into their conference matchups, the Eagles are ranked No. 12 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes, placing them the third highest in GSAC behind Vanguard University at No. 10 and Westmont College at No. 7.

“We have a strong defense that can play really well with each other,” Verduzco said. “We also do a good job of finding each other out wide and making runs. We are disciplined and getting it into the box and finishing on set pieces. Ultimately, we play for each other and play for God.”

Carrying on with league play, the Eagles’ will face the Menlo College Oaks on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 4:30 p.m.