Westmont men’s soccer brings home title

KISSIMMEE, Florida. - With a 3-1 victory over Campbellsville (Ky.) on Saturday night, Westmont Men's Soccer (12-7-3) has claimed the 2023 National Championship of the National Christian College Athletic Association. This is the second time Westmont Men's Soccer has claimed a national title. The first was by the 1972 team that won the NAIA National Championship.

"There is nothing more you can say about this group," said Westmont's head coach Morgan Cathey. "The reality is that they take every challenge and own it. They have grown so much this season in ways that I could never have foreseen or imagined.

"The commitment from every player is like nothing else - from one to 24 who came today and the guys at home. Their commitment is incredible and they are such a joy to coach. They know I am going to push them, but every time I push them they ask, 'How far? How much more?'"

"I am really thankful to do it with these guys and especially with Coach," said senior Daniel Tuscano who scored the first two goals in the championship game and was named the Tournament MVP. "He has revolutionized the program and made everything mean something.

"I know it means a lot to the team and the program. We are trying to create something new and start something fresh. I think this is a good way to set standards for what is to come, creating a new legacy here at Westmont."

"In the first half, I don't think Campbellsville had one chance," Cathey correctly noted.. "We had so much possession of the ball."

Tuscano's first goal came in the 12th minute of play. Cash Anderholt chased down a ball in the right corner, then passed it to Tuscano at the top-right corner of the 18-yard box. Tuscano dribbled across the top of the box, then fired from 17 yards out. His shot deflected off a Tiger defender and continued diagonally into the far corner of the net.

"Honestly, we were very nervous in the first half and forced passes in a way that we don't normally do," reflected Cathey. "We didn't know there would be as much time and space as there was. We didn't know what to do with that much time and space. I think that was hard for our guys initially.

"At halftime, we settled them down," said Morgan. "Obviously, we got the first-half goal, which allowed us to settle. I think if we hadn't scored, we might have been heightened throughout."

The second goal came in the 57th minute, the result of a corner kick. From the right corner, Erik Guerrero sent the ball to the top of the 18-yard box where Tuscano was waiting. The senior needed just one touch to take his shot, sending the ball inside the left post.

"I think those goals were a long time coming," said Tuscano, whose second goal brought his season total to three. "I had a couple of close shots in a couple of prior games. I think it was a great day to score."

"The second goal was an incredible goal," praised Cathey. "We scored that goal earlier in the season and we talked about it before the game. We knew that if they didn't adjust, we would have a free player there. We knew how they set up. We studied their corners in attack and defense a lot because that is how they scored their first goal in their last game. They have a lot of good players and really good service. So, you have to be really good in those moments. For us to find the player we did and for Daniel to be as confident as he was to score the goal was so nice."

Just a minute and 14 seconds later, Westmont's Connor Lynch would put the nail in the coffin with his fourth goal of the season. Matthew Morgan cleared a ball from the defensive third that came down near the midfield line. Lynch battled for possession with a Campbellsville defender and won control. He dribbled down the field and fired off a shot from 20 yards out into the right-hand side of the netting.

"The third goal was such an unbelievable individual effort from Connor," declared Cathey. "Once you score the third goal in a final, it's over. Even though there was 30 minutes left, it was about managing the next 15 minutes.

"It that moment, I thought our guys were fantastic. We killed the game. We had a sub waiting for seven minutes because we had the ball the whole time. That was a time we showed our maturity and that was the time I was the proudest of the team – scoring the third goal and killing the game the way we did."

Westmont would surrender a goal in the final minute of the game, but it was too little, too late and even the scoring team could not bring themselves to celebrate the moment.

"For these guys to have put in as much work as they have is a testament to who they are and to Westmont as a whole," asserted Cathey. "Westmont produces amazing players. Today, it was local kids against foreign men. Our local kids showed like true Westmont Warriors. We have so many national championships from such a small place, and it is because we have incredible student athletes."

Campbellsville's roster had players from 12 countries and four continents, but no one from the United States. Westmont's roster includes only players from the US, including seven from Santa Barbara County.

"I had no idea what to expect when we came," said Tuscano about his tournament experience. "I hadn't heard of these teams. We were focused on the PacWest first. The opportunity to be here presented a new challenge and I think all the guys responded well.

"We play well on the road because of the comradery and the experience of being away from home together. We focused everything on the next game, each game at hand. I didn't know what to expect, how far we were going to go, or what was going to happen. Each game was totally new and I think Coach prepared us well for each and every game.

"Each game presented different challenges. The team grew throughout the tournament. To play four games in this amount of time is so hard. We not only played some of our best soccer this last game but we just outworked them. They couldn't keep up with us."

Tuscano and Guerrero were both named to the All-Tournament team and Guerrero was awarded the Golden Ball for tallying the most points in tournament play. Guerrero scored twice against Asbury (Ky.) and had assists against Central Christian (Kan.) and Campbellsville to tally eight points.

The national championship is the 11th in Westmont history and marks the first time Westmont has won two national championships in one calendar year. Exactly six months prior, Westmont won the 2023 NAIA Baseball World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.

The team flies home on Sunday, carrying with it some extra hardware, and a remarkable accomplishment in the first year under Cathey as head coach. They will return to classes and prepare, as student-athletes, to finish out the fall semester. They will do so, however, with all the confidence that comes with a new title – National Champions.