SAN DIEGO – After a four-match road trip, the Point Loma women's soccer team returned home for the second PacWest match of the season, beating Academy of Art 2-0 on Saturday afternoon to extend the Sea Lions unbeaten streak in PacWest matches to 29.
 
The Sea Lions entered Saturday's match with a seven-match winning streak on its home pitch since tying Academy of Art, 1-1, in 2019. No goals were scored in the first 50 minutes of play, and it looked like there could be a similar result with two of the PacWest's top defenses facing each other.
 
The scoreless tie was finally broken on an incredible counter-attack by Alana Diaz. After the Urban Knights earned a corner kick, Point Loma managed to clear the ball out of the box with Lauren O'Malley making a nice save on the back post. Academy of Art had two defenders back to get the ball. The first defender tried to send the ball back into the box, but Diaz jumped in front of the kick, which hit her just above the shoulder and went flying toward the other defender.
 
"I just wanted to be in position to block the far post and get the ball out," O'Malley said after the match. "Alana was there to take care of the rest."
 
Undeterred by taking one kick to her face, Diaz went running straight toward the second defender and jumped as she also tried to send the ball back into the box. Once again, she blocked the kick with her shoulder and just kept running, now having only the goalkeeper to get past. Diaz dribbled to the goalkeeper who slid to her right just as Diaz dribbled left, leaving her wide open for to finish off the single-handed goal.
 
"It was Lauren's job to clear anything that gets through," head coach Kristi Kiely said. "The ball got through and she did her job and it's kind of interesting that that's the way it would happen for our first goal, but we knew we had to finish whatever opportunities we had. I really appreciate Alana's work from box to box and he composure. It's hard to put that much work in and then stay calm when you only have the goalkeeper to get past, and she did a great job of finishing well."
 
"It was an amazing save from Lauren," Diaz added. "I was in shock. Once, it was out, I just kept going for it. The ball hit my face on the first kick and I just kept going and it hit me again and I kept going. It was so fun to be able to score that first goal."
 
Point Loma didn't just settle for the one goal and got an insurance goal in the 65^th minute. Emma Thrapp sent a free kick into the middle of the box. Mara Sovde was the first player to get her head on the ball. After the ball bounced off a couple other players, Sovde kicked the ball over the goalkeeper's head to the other side of the goal. Courtney Jo Seman was the first player to get to the loose ball and bumped it into the back of the net for the second goal in a span of 12 minutes.
 
For Diaz, it was her third goal already this season and her second game-winner. She now has eight points this year and nine in her young collegiate career. Seman has now scored two goals this season, while Thrapp and Sovde were each credited with assists on the goal.
 
Point Loma created more scoring opportunities throughout the match with 14 shots and nine on goal. However, two-time PacWest Defender of the Week Nicole Peoples made seven saves to keep the match close. Academy of Art took five shots and three of those were on frame. The Urban Knights only had one corner kick in the match, which was the one that led to the goal by Diaz. That was only the third goal scored against the Urban Knights in their last five matches.
 
"Academy of Art is really good at what they do," Kiely said. "They don't allow a lot of goals or even a lot of shots against them. Their goalkeeper is very strong, and early on we weren't playing quick enough and didn't capitalize on our opportunities, so we knew we had to make some adjustments at halftime."
 
Emma Hinson made one save and then exited the game once the Sea Lions had the two-goal lead. Rachel Fong made her second appearance of the season and made one save as well to combine with Hinson for the team's third shutout this season. Point Loma is the PacWest leader in goals-against average so far this season.
 
The next match for the Sea Lions will be on Wednesday at home against Biola. The Eagles, who were picked third in the PacWest Preseason Poll, are currently tied for second place in the PacWest standings after having won their conference opener against Academy of Art on Thursday.
 
"We have a lot to improve on," Kiely added. "We haven't played our best soccer yet, and we have to get ready for Biola on Wednesday."

POST-GAME INTERVIEW