Playing as if they were in mid-season form, the Cerritos College men's soccer team opened the 2022 season with a dominant 6-0 win over visiting College of the Desert on Friday. Not only did it mark the third playing season in a row (there was no season in 2020) the Falcons (1-0-0) opened the year with a shutout win over the Roadrunners (0-1-0), it was also the largest win in an opening game since a 7-0 victory over Cypress College in 2017.

It only took Cerritos 1:23 of the season to get on the board, as sophomore Pablo Caparelli (Real Salt Lake Academy, UT HS) chipped a shot over Desert goalkeeper Luis Lucio after a nice lofting pass by sophomore Alfredo Ortiz (Oscar De La Hoya HS/East Los Angeles College) over defender Rosario Ramirez. The Falcons continued their offensive pressure and caused several turnovers. They were quick in their transition and scored two more times in a span of 10 minutes.

In the 29th minute, freshman Kobe Chavez (North Hollywood HS) moved the ball into Roadrunner territory and sent a pass to sophomore Miguel Martinez (Bright Star Secondary Charter Academy HS). Sitting outside the 18-yard box, Martinez sent a shot into the far upper corner and out of the reach of Lucio for the second goal of the first half. On the third goal, it was sophomore Uriel Sanchez (Servite HS) who did most of the work setting it up, as he dribbled into Desert territory causing a scramble by the defense. The ball found the foot of sophomore Allen Perez (Norwalk HS) and he scored his first goal since the 2018 season when he was part of the college's National and State Championship team.

Right before the halftime whistle, sophomore Gabriel Oropeza (Banning HS/Hope International University) scored the team's second goal from long distance. Setting up for a direct kick, Oropeza drilled a shot from 25 yards away and into the back of the net for his first of two goals on the day.

Also making a return to the Falcon lineup after going through a series of injuries was sophomore Christian Perez (Paramount HS). Since his last game in 2017, the Cerritos men's soccer program had played 6,144 minutes of action before Perez (pictured, left) stepped back on the field in a Falcon uniform. The 2nd Team all-conference selection in 2017 entered the game in the 39th minute of the first half and immediately got involved in the action. He did get off one shot attempt and when he was knocked down, popped right up and got back into the action.

Oropeza scored his second straight goal in the 70th minute when he was in front of the net to clean up on a play that was started by Caparelli. After a point blank shot by Caparelli was deflected wide by Lucio, Oropeza put it away when it landed at his foot. Cerritos closed out the scoring in the 87th minute on a beautiful header off a corner kick.

Sophomore Nathan Garcia (Warren HS), who just came into the game, sent a long cross from the corner kick right to freshman Andrew Valencia (Bishop Mora Salesian HS), who went up and over everyone for his first collegiate goal.

The freshman goalkeeping tandem of Juan Pablo Camacho (Norwalk HS) and Steven Ruiz (Cathedral HS) combined for the shutout and saved all four shots on goal.

Photos by Daryl Peterson