W. Soccer: Win over Taft improves record to 5-0-0

File Photo: The Falcons improved to 5-0-0 with their win over Taft
File Photo: The Falcons improved to 5-0-0 with their win over Taft

With their convincing 5-0 win over host Taft College on Friday, the Cerritos College women's soccer team improved their season record to 5-0-0, with all of their games coming on the road. The top-ranked Falcons will new travel to College of the Canyons next Friday for a 7:00 p.m. match, which will be their final pre-season game before the start of South Coast Conference play.

Continuing to provide the majority of the team's scoring, the trio of sophomores Mia Ramirez (Torrance HS), Serena Camacho (Los Osos HS/UC Irvine) and Sydney Carr (El Modena HS/UC Irvine) accounted for four goals and four assists, with freshman Natalie Garcia (Santa Ana HS) recording a goal on the day. Ramirez is now third in the state with 21 points and sixth with eight goals.

It was a close 1-0 game through the first 45 minutes, although the Falcons were firing off shots at the Cougars goal. Carr struck first in the 32nd minute when Ramirez took control of the ball on the left side of the field and switched the ball over to Carr running down the right side of the field. That put in a breakaway position, where she scored past the diving keeper.

Cerritos struck for four goals in the second half, as their team speed and aggressive play wore down Taft. The four tallies came in the span of 20 minutes, as Ramirez got the play started when she moved the ball down the right side and set a crossing pass to Camacho, who headed the ball in for a 2-0 lead in the 67th minute. The next two goals came three minutes apart with Ramirez scoring on the near post in the 75th minute after receiving a pass from Camacho on the right side of the box. Ramirez, who had three assists on the day, had a hand in the goal by Garcia, who slipped a shot into the net on a one-timer on a crossing pass. Camacho closed out the scoring in the 87th minute with a successful penalty kick.

Sophomore goalkeeper Deisy Rodriguez (Katella HS) secured her state-leading fourth shutout of the season and fifth win of the year by turning away the only shot on goal she faced. She is also tied for first in the state in wins (5) and goals against average (0.00).