Biller lifts Cats to victory

The Saddleback women's soccer team opened the Orange Empire Conference schedule with a 4-3 victory over Golden West College on Tuesday inside Saddleback Stadium.  Kaiya Biller scored two goals in the win.

Saddleback and Golden West was a matchup of two teams ranked in the top 10 in the latest California Community College Sports Information Directors (CCCSIA) Poll released on Tuesday morning.  The Bobcats came in ranked No. 1 while Golden West was at No. 8 and hadn't given up a goal all season.

Saddleback put that streak to an end in the 31^st minute when Milana McClain picked up a loose ball and beat the Golden West keeper for a 1-0 lead.  The Bobcats then made the score 2-0 right before half when Jinan Said took a free kick from just outside the box and beat the keeper to the left side of the net. 

Saddleback looked as if it would run away and hide, building up a sizeable lead in total shots through the first nine minutes of the second half.  Golden West then grabbed some momentum when Jada Overton lofted a ball towards the far corner and the Saddleback keeper couldn't get a handle on it as it slipped into the net.  The Rustlers would then add another goal less then three minutes later as Abby Quinlan took a pass from Alexandra Ortenzo and beat Cameron Simmons to tie the game at 2-2.

The game was back and forth from that point forward and Saddleback broke the stalemate when Kaiya Biller scored her first goal of the season on a ball that was tipped onto her foot in front of the goal for a 3-2 lead in the 61^st minute.

Golden West was resilient, tying the game in the 76^th minute as Kaylee Gomez beat Saddleback keeper Maycie Pugh to the right side of the net after Pugh was reinserted into the lineup.

The Bobcats again rallied the troops, putting pressure on a Golden West squad that seemed to be happy with settling for a tie and was loading up on defensive players.  It didn't work as Biller took a perfect feed from Allison Lozano off a set piece and steered past the Golden West keeper for the eventual game-winning goal in the 85^th minute.  It was Biller's second consecutive goal in the game after going scoreless through the first six games of the season.

Saddleback finished with a 19-9 advantage in total shots and an 8-1 lead in corner kicks. 

Saddleback is now 6-1 overall and 1-0 in Orange Empire Conference play.  The Bobcats will travel to Irvine Valley College on Friday to take on the Lasers.  Saddleback and IVC are scheduled to start at 3:00 PM in Irvine.