The backflip that followed freshman forward Benji Michel’s goal in the 10th minute of Sunday’s match against San Diego summed up the game and the season so far. The Pilots dominated San Diego for 90 minutes in a 4-0 win, their seventh in a row, proving that they are the class of the West Coast Conference.
With the win, the Pilots improve to 11-3-1 on the year, their best record after 15 games since 1995. They also improve to 5-0 in WCC play, something that has not been accomplished since 1988. Meanwhile, San Diego drops to 5-7-3 on the year and 2-3 in conference play.
Michel, who came into Sunday’s game leading the WCC in goals with eight, took a pass from senior midfielder Eddie Sanchez, juked past the charging San Diego goalkeeper and found the open net to put the Pilots ahead 1-0.
“It wasn’t a planned thing,” Michel said of his celebration. “I just did it because I was really excited.”
There would be more for Michel to be excited about later in the half. In the 27th minute Sanchez again found Michel streaking down the field who found the back of the net for his 10th goal of the year that gave the Pilots a 2-0 lead.
The second half got off to a slow start due to the rain that caused offensive troubles for both teams, but it wasn’t enough to stop freshman midfielder Rey Ortiz from scoring his first collegiate goal in the 76th minute and putting the game out of San Diego’s reach.
“I just feel excited for the team and for myself,” Ortiz said of his first goal. “So much work we put in early in the summer is paying off, that’s what it’s all about.”
Ortiz wasn’t done, however, as he scored via penalty kick in the 88th minute, putting the finishing touches on what was a dominating performance by the Pilots
Of the seven straight wins posted by the Pilots, the last three have been by way of shutout. The team posted just two shutouts through the first 10 games of the year, but the defensive unit, anchored by junior Kris Reaves and senior goalkeeper Paul Christensen, looks to finally be in midseason form.
“They continue to mesh and have good chemistry,” Carlin-Voigt said of the defensive back line. “They’re starting to speak to each other without having to actually talk.”
The Pilots will need to be strong again defensively and in every other facet of the game as they travel to play the University of Denver in a non-conference game on Thursday at 6 p.m.
Denver is 14-0-1 and is currently No. 4 in the nation. The Pilots will face them on Thursday, giving them one less day of rest than a normal week.
But the Pilots aren’t worried about what day the game is. They’re taking a one-game-at-a-time approach.
“We’re going to give our best shot in every game,” Carlin-Voigt said. “We’re going to try to beat a top five team in the country and try to win the league.”
