M. Soccer: Team suffers first loss in over a year

File Photo: Falcons drop 4-2 decision to Pasadena City
File Photo: Falcons drop 4-2 decision to Pasadena City

Not since August 28, 2018 had the Cerritos College men's soccer team experienced the feeling of defeat. The Falcons (13-1-3, 4-1-2) dropped a 4-2 South Coast Conference decision against host Pasadena City College on Friday. The last loss felt by a Cerritos men's soccer team was a 3-2 season-opening setback against College of the Desert and had gone 35-0-5 since then. The team has one more conference game before they play in the SCC Tournament, and will host Long Beach City College at 1:00 p.m. next Tuesday.

On two occasions in the game, the Lancers (8-8-2, 2-4-1) took a lead, but Cerritos was able to knot the score. However, Pasadena City scored what would be the eventual game-winning goal in the 68th minute and then add another one in extra time, as the Falcons took as many chances possible to try and tie the score again.

The game's opening goal came in the seventh minute when Martin Manzanilla drove a shot into the upper portion of the net past starting goalkeeper Jose Azpeitia (Valencia HS). It took just 1:08 later for the Falcons to tie the game for the first time, as sophomore Ernie Cueva (Bassett HS) got up and over the rest of the players to score on a header off a corner kick from sophomore Kevin Diaz (Connections Academy HS).

Azpeitia made a decision in the 18th minute that would lead to his being replaced in goal by Luis Enciso (Gahr HS) when his attempted clearing throw got away from him and rolled into the net for an own goal. Shaken, but not defeated by the play, Cerritos made it a 2-2 game less than 15 minutes later in the 32nd minute, as freshman defender Hector Aguirre-Ruiz (Montebello HS) scored on a line drive off a crossing pass from sophomore Carlos Payeros (Lennox Academy HS), who had only been inserted into the game several minutes prior.

Even with all of their offensive pressure, the Falcons, who took 19 shots on the day, could not get another ball past Lancer goalkeeper Steven Sandoval.