With the South Coast Conference schedule underway, each game is starting to have a must-win feel for the Cerritos College women's soccer team. The Falcons (9-4-2, 2-1-0) surrendered the first goal of the game against visiting Mt. San Antonio College, but scored the next two to post a 2-1 victory. Next up is a 2:00 p.m. conference game at Long Beach City College on Friday. Both Cerritos and Long Beach City are 2-1-0 in conference play and sit in second place with five regular season games remaining.
The Mounties (10-5-2, 2-2-0) opened the week ranked #18 in the country by United Soccer Coaches among Division III (non-scholarship) schools, so the win by the Falcons could be looked to as a confidence booster.
After surrendering a goal in the 24th minute when Liana Sanchez sent in a shot to freshman goalkeeper Melanie Corona (El Rancho HS), who had the ball bounce above her head, through her hands and into the net. Cerritos could easily have started to fold, with that being the sixth straight goal allowed by the team covering the last three games. But less than three minutes later, it was a tie game, as freshman Aubree Stevens (Pacifica HS) sent a corner kick to the far post, where sophomore Nia Thomspon (Kennedy HS/Alabama A&M University) as able to out-leap everyone and head the ball into the net.
Although they played a bit sluggish in the first half, the Falcons came out with speed and purpose in the second half. That would produce the eventual game-winning goal just 1:49 into the second half, as freshman Samantha Martinez (San Pedro HS) stole the ball deep in Mountie territory and passed to sophomore Valeria Corrilo (Dominguez HS). After controlling the ball and making one move, Corrilo drilled the ball into the back of the net for her second goal of the season.
Freshman Liza Cisneros (Bellflower HS), who came on in relief of Corona in the 23rd minute, earned the win after making four saves, which included two point blank stops in the first half.
Photos by Daryl Peterson
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