W. Soccer: Cerritos scores two second half goals for win

File Photo: Lauren Nanez scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Sierra College.
File Photo: Lauren Nanez scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Sierra College.
For the first time this season, the Cerritos College women's soccer team found themselves trailing in a game, as host Sierra College took a 1-0 lead on Sunday morning. But the Falcons (3-0-1) responded with two goals in two minutes to come away with a 2-1 non-conference victory. Ranked #5 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the Falcons will continue their 10-game road trip to start the season by travelling to Los Angeles Pierce College for a 4:00 p.m. game on Friday.

After surrendering a goal to Monet Filteau in the first half, Falcon goalkeeper Maria Santoyo (Universidad de Guadalajara HS) turned away with Wolverines the remainder of the contest and finished with six saves, while her counterpart, Janell Grace, was looking to accomplish the rare feat of shutting out a Cerritos team.

The shutout was thwarted in the 81st minute when freshman forward Claudia Ibarra (Universidad de Guadalajara HS) sent a free kick from about 25 yards out on the corner of the box on right side of the field, where she bent it over the wall into the right corner of the goal. Stunned by the accuracy of the kick, Sierra wasn't prepared when Ibarra launched a corner kick from the left side of the field, where the ball curved away from Grace. It was controlled by sophomore defender Karina Sandoval (Universidad de Guadalajara HS), who flicked the ball toward sophomore midfielder Lauren Nanez (La Mirada HS), who headed the ball in for the game-winning goal.

Cerritos kept Grace on her toes, as they peppered her with 14 shots, with 11 of them on goal and finished the gamer with 23 shots, while Sierra 14 shots, while seven of them were on goal against Santoyo.