Although it may be too little too late, the Cerritos College men's soccer team has been playing their best all-around play in their last three games. The Falcons (6-10-4, 6-5-2) posted their third shutout in a row, as they defeated El Camino-Compton Center, 2-0 on Friday. The team has one game remaining, a rescheduled contest against East Los Angeles College at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. A win will see the team finish in third place in the tough South Coast Conference, while a loss or tie will leave them in fourth place.

Cerritos got a break in the first half when the Tartars (5-9-7, 4-4-6) posted an own goal in the 20th minute. On the play, freshman Ricardo Colin (Jefferson HS) got off a shot that took an awkward spin toward the net. Compton's Alejandro Vasquez tried to clear the ball with a heel kick, but the spin of the ball put it into the net for a 1-0 lead.

Late in the first half, sophomore Christian Carrillo (Katella HS) executed a perfect throw-in, that was converted into a chip shot goal by freshman Mark Cruz (El Toro HS) for his fourth goal of the season.

Both Colin and freshman Juan Orozco (Sierra HS) kept the Tartar defense on their toes, as they set themselves up for high percentage shots with their aggressive offensive runs. Although neither of them were able to convert them into goals, it was their pressure that prevented Compton from being able to move a defender up to try and generate scoring chances.

Since he assumed the starting role two games ago, freshman goalkeeper Eduardo Valdovinos (Long Beach Millikan HS) has posted a pair of shutouts in two Falcon wins. He was asked to make just one save on the day, thanks to the stellar defensive effort by Cerritos. Valdovinos has not allowed a goal in his last 207 minutes of play.

Photos by Daryl Peterson