After a delay that extended to the following day, the Cerritos College men's soccer team posted a 2-1 South Coast Conference crossover win over rival Mt. San Antonio College on Wednesday. The game started on Tuesday with the Falcons opening a 2-1 lead through the first 37 minutes of the game before lightning caused the game to be suspended. They resumed where they left off on Wednesday afternoon and the two teams played the game with tight defense with few scoring chances.

The best scoring opportunity came in extra time when the Mounties Alex Mendez saw his direct kick hit the far right crossbar, with Cerritos able to clear away the danger. 

With the win, the Falcons, who are ranked #2 in the nation by United Soccer Coaches in Division III (non-scholarship) and #1 in the state, while the Mounties (10-3-0, 2-1-0) came into the game ranked #5 in the nation and #3 in the state.

Intensity was not at a minimum, as the two rivals looked to get an early edge in a game that could be decided by one mistake.

In the eighth minute, steady defender Jaret Rocha (Paramount HS) turned the ball over deep in Cerritos (11-0-2, 3-0-0) territory, which led to a high-percentage scoring chance. However, a tackle in the 18-yard box led to Mt. San Antonio (10-2-0, 2-0-0) being awarded a penalty kick. Mendez converted the kick to give the Mounties an early 1-0 advantage.

Cerritos, already shorthanded without head coach Benny Artiaga, responded well to the early adversity and picked up their offensive tempo.

The aggressive play came to fruition in the 14th minute when sophomore Michael Rodriguez (Bright Star Secondary Charter Academy HS) jumped on a bad clearing attempt by Mounties goalkeeper Daniel Ramirez. He turned that into a shot that he lofted over the head of Ramirez from 35 yards out and into the net for a goal.

Prior to the suspension of the game, Cerritos took a 2-1 lead on a fantastic tic-tac-toe goal in the 30th minute. On the play, sophomore Gabriel Oropeza (Banning HS/Hope International University) brought the ball up from midfield and saw sophomore Pablo Caparelli (Real Salt Lake Academy, UT HS) on his left side. Not missing a beat, Caparelli sent a one-time pass to freshman Julian Vazquez (Salesian HS), who had an open net to his disposal and he drove home his fourth goal of the season.

The Falcons will travel to Pasadena City College on Friday for a 4:00 p.m. conference game.

Photos by Daryl Peterson