W. Soccer: Five named to All-South Coast Conference team

Victoria Ruiz was named the division's Co-Goalie of the Year
Victoria Ruiz was named the division's Co-Goalie of the Year

In a season where the Cerritos College women's soccer team had just one goalie and lost one of their top returners from last season due to injury, the team still had five players earn All-South Coast Conference South Division recognition. As a team, the Falcons concluded the season with a 6-9-3 record, finished fourth in the division and won the seventh place game at the conference tournament. Freshman goalkeeper Victoria Ruiz (Applied Technology Center HS), who came within three saves of breaking the school's freshman record for most keeper saves, was named the division's Co-Goalie of the Year. Ruiz played every minute in goal for the Falcons and posted a conference-leading 113 saves, while recording seven shutouts. She finished with a clean sheet in the team's final four games and ended the season on a 380-minute shutout streak. Earning 1st Team honors were sophomore defender Mary Morales (Santa Ana HS) and sophomore midfielder Katie Alexander (Mayfair HS/Vanguard University), while sophomore midfielder Valerie Becerra (La Serna HS) and freshman midfielder Aida Pineda (Warren HS) were 2nd Team selections. Morales, who was a 2nd Team selection as a freshman, had a goal and three assists from her defender position and was also a key part of the team shutting out their last four opponents. As for Alexander, she registered four goals and three assists and used her speed to jump start the offense coming out of their own end. She ahd a pair of assists against College of the Desert in the season opener and posted goals in two of the last three games of the year.

As for Becerra, who had three goals and five assists, she was as important to the offense as she was to the defense. On many instances, it was Becerra, who not only brought the ball out of defensive situations, she was there to help create offensive opportunities. All three of her goals came in shutout victories, while she had a goal and assist against East Los Angeles College. Pineda, who served as the last line of defense, was able to take on the opposing team's best offensive player each game and was successful more times than not. She was brought up to forward on several occasions to use her offensive skillset to try and generate some offense. Although she didn't record any points, the team scored several times with her in a forward position.