The Cerritos College women's soccer team opened a 3-0 first half lead over East Los Angeles on Tuesday and went on to post a 5-1 win. The South Coast Conference crossover win improved the Falcons record to 14-1-0 on the year. Ranked #2 in the country by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the team will get another test on Friday at 2:00 o.m. when they host #17-ranked Rio Hondo College (10-0-4) in their final crossover game.

In the win over the Huskies (1-11-4), Cerritos got on the board in the ninth minute when sophomores Carolina Jaramillo (Cetis 54 HS, Tijuana) and Natalie de Leon (St. Joseph HS) connected on quick passes, which put them deep in East LA territory. de Leon got off the first shot, with goalkeeper Penelope Roman making the first save. Freshman Gissell Gutierrez (Dominguez HS) was in front to put away the rebound to give the team a quick lead.

Then, in the 18th minute, sophomore Amber Whitmore (Los Alamitos HS) brought the ball down the sideline and sent a crossing pass to de Leon, who one-timed the ball into the net for a lead that would grow to 3-0 right before halftime. With less than a minute remaining, freshman Itzel Ballesteros (Maywood Academy HS) quickly moved the ball along the goal line, where her crossing pass was tipped in by sophomore Carolina Jaramillo.

In the second half, sophomore Ashli Villalobos (Mayfair HS/Cal State Los Angeles) played a role in both of the team's goals. In the 65th minute, Villalobos controlled the ball away from a Huskies player and after dribbling toward the net, sent a crossing pass to the other side of the box. Jaramillo was there to control the ball and got off a pass that Roman was only able to get a piece of it, with Jaramillo recording her fourth goal in just four games. Villalobos closed out the team scoring in the 67th minute when she received a pass from freshman Maria Hernandez (Sierra Vista HS) and found herself in the box and put the ball into the net.

Photos by Daryl Peterson