W. Soccer: Three more players commit to four-year schools

Nia Thompson signed with Cal State Dominguez Hills
Nia Thompson signed with Cal State Dominguez Hills

Joining the first wave of Cerritos College women's soccer players who have made their four-year commitments, three more have announced where they will be playing next season. Sophomore Nia Thompson (Kennedy HS), who was a 2nd Team All-South Coast Conference selection, has signed with Cal State Dominguez Hills, while both Amanda Camacho (La Serna HS) and Alejandra Velasquez (South Gate HS) will be moving on to Hope International University. The duo will be joining teammate Jaylene Valentin with the Royals, while Valeria Corrilo earlier signed with Cal State Los Angeles, with Maria Campos inking with Life Pacific University.

Amanda Camacho A transfer from Alabama A&M University, Thompson led the Falcons with 15 goals and added two assists, as she started 14 of the 21 games in which she appeared. Over a five-game stretch in conference play, Thompson scored eight of her goals. She scored three times against Compton College after accounting for two goals in the previous game against El Camino College. Camacho (pictured, left) played sparingly for the Falcons in both of her season, as the midfielder appeared in 10 games both seasons and started once. Velasquez was a red-shirt in 2017 before appearing in four games in 2018. She saw action in four games and surrendered one goal in 33 minutes of play. She did not appear in any games in 2019, so she will have three years of eligibility.

According to Falcons head coach Ruben Gonzalez, "(Nia) was very good technically for us. She like to play the game and I think as the season came along, so did her fitness level. I think she can be very good for (CSUDH) if she goes in with the mindset of being fit from the start. Amanda never missed practice with us and was an extremely hard worker. She is a very good student and I think she and Ale can be successful as long they continue to work hard on the field and in the weight room. It was just one of those numbers games when you have depth at certain positions and the coaching staff made the decision to go with other players this past season."

Thompson will be joined on the Toros team by former Falcon Mayela Medina, who started 10 of the 15 games in which she appeared during the 2019 season. They will both look to help the team improve on their 8-8-2 record and try to advance part the first round of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament. The trio of incoming Falcons on the Hope International team will help them build on a 9-10-0 record in 2019 and first round loss in the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Tournament,.