Stubborn Gatekeeper Leads Lions in Soccer

Galvan Admits No Goals in Shutout Win

WAXAHACHIE, Texas  -- He was the human embodiment of the No Admittance sign.

Facing a number of golden scoring opportunities by the visitors from Dakota Wesleyan University, freshman goalie Cesar Galvan (Dallas, Tx / Lovejoy HS), at 5-foot-6, came up large during Southwestern Assemblies of God University's 2-0 win on Saturday afternoon.

The game featured a return to campus of former SAGU head coach Jeremy Tosaya, now at DWU. He drew a warm welcome from friends and an estimated crowd of 200 on a busy sports Saturday. The Dakota Tigers made the 785 mile trip from Mitchell, South Dakota in two days. They will play in Richardson against Dallas Christian College on Monday, then travel to Nebraska to face York College before returning home.

Render Unto Cesar

Galvan is quickly gaining attention with his quick hands and feet, discerning angles and an unusual moxie for a freshman. On at least four occasions he stood tall as the last line of defense for the Lions when the visiting Tigers' passing game had a player in perfect position to score. His reflexes, anticipation, and quickness allowed him to make six sensational saves. Four of them were horizontal lunges to stymie a rebound kick from point-blank range. An appreciative crowd cheered his efforts and roared in approval.

His aggressive approach as a goalkeeper, however, almost cost dearly. Midway through the first half of a scoreless dual, Dakota sent a high lob in front of the penalty area, 18 yards in front of the goal. Galvan jetted out to get the ball before a Tiger forward could gain control, leaving the goal mouth unguarded. To his surprise, the ball bounced over his head and rolled into the netting for an apparent score. The line judge had already signalled with his flag an offside violation against DWU, negating the tally. A relieved Galvan gathered himself and played error-free the remainder of the afternoon.

Game's Deciding Goal

Twenty-nine minutes into the first half came what would become the game-winning goal. Junior midfielder Samuel Cabrera (Tampa, Fla / Hillsborough Community College / Tampa Baptist), was near the sideline in front of the home stands. From forty yards out he lifted a long pass in the direction of senior forward Bryan King (Springfield, Mo / Kickapoo HSS). The boot bounced once inside the penalty area and toward the Tigers' 6-foot-1 junior keeper, Jordan Werner. Just as he reached for the ball, King darted in front and applied a header, redirecting the ball out of Werner's grasp and into the webbing of the newly installed goals.

The ebb and flo of momentum in the contest had seen Dakota gain the upperhand for stages of the first half, mounting several scoring bids. The Lions however, began to gain control of the midfield area, securing possession of their own, but without much success in launching any quality shots. Seconds after Galvan made two saves, SAGU mounted a counter-attack that led to King's score.

The second half saw new coach Aaron DeLoach's improved team increase their defensive intensity. David Flores (San Miguel, El Salvador / Farmers Branch, Tx / R.L. Turner HS), a junior defender, made a number of tackles and plays to thwart the Tigers sideline attack. Brenden Kowalski (Tomball, Tx / Tomball HS) and *Mugabo Yves (Kigali, Rwanda / Nakaseke HS) were key performers at marking and disabling offensive marches in the middle of the pitch.

Southwestern veterans Shelby Smith (Round Rock, Tx / Stony Point HS) and Jono Rumfield (Tomball, Tx / Tomball HS) led the charge of the middies, a clear improvement over the team's strategic play from 2009.

With only sixteen minutes on the game clock and the Lions protecting that lone goal, Galvan rose to the fore. In one sequence of shots with a crowd inside the penalty box, he made two saves, the last being a dive where he slapped the ball out of harms way.

SAGU almost scored ninetry seconds later to ice the game. Joe Ballah (Charlotte, NC / Independence HS), a gifted forward, expressed a cross to his left to Glorie Ndongala (Congo / Northglenn HS, Colo). The junior middie tagged a riccochet header just inside the post that was denied by the keeper, Werner, with 14:27 to go. It was a beautiful pass play and an even greater save.

Clinching Goal

Victory was assured when Ballah (Bahl-uh) sent a blast to the back of the net with 8:50 remaining. James Swearingen's (Arlington, Tx / Home School) assist set up the play. He connected with Ballah, who was about 15 yards out, near the right corner. The freshman cut in, took the pass, dribbled to his left, and stopped to shoot with his right foot. Thinking wiser, he went futher left, drawing a second defender. He hesitated to fire a shot, freezing both players. Ballah then split between them and triggered a left-footed laser past the goalie to settle the outcome conclusively. It was akin to a basketball player faking to shoot twice, then firing in a crucial basket.

Lions Play at Home on Labor Day at 1:00pm

The win, the Lions' second straight, gives SAGU a 2-1 record. They return to action on Monday, Labor Day, in a meeting with Southwestern College. The Moundbuilders are doing a "Texas Two Step" during this road trip. On Saturday they opened their season with a 3-0 triumph against Dallas Christian College. It is a 335 mile jaunt for them from their campus in Winfield, Kansas.

SAGU will play two more games next week. On Friday, September 10, they welcome Central Christian College (McPherson, Ks) for a 5:00pm game. The Tigers are currently 2-0. The following day the Lions are in Austin to play Concordia University at 3pm. The C-Tex Tornados have a 1-0 ledger so far.

Check back on Monday for uploaded photos from the Dakota Wesleyan game.

*Pronounced MOO-gah-BO  EEV