After posting wins over Los Angeles Trade-Tech College (16-0) and Mt. San Antonio College (9-7) on the first day of the South Coast Conference Tournament on Thursday, the Cerritos College women's water polo team has advanced to the championship game. The Falcons (26-3) will face rival Long Beach City College at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday for the conference title. Cerritos is looking for the second straight conference championship and fifth in the last seven seasons.

The day opened with a convincing shutout win over #8-seeded LA Trade-Tech, as the Falcons scored eight goals in the first quarter and never looked back. The win allowed the depth of the bench to see extra playing time, with the duo of freshman Teresa Zuniga (California HS) and sophomore Anna Herrera (Rowland HS) joining freshman Carla Harvey (Potomac Falls, VA HS) with three goals each. The defense also produced 23 steals with sophomore Jasmine Medina (Pioneer HS) leading the way with four, while Herrera, Yuridia Vela (Schurr HS), Diana Medina (Pioneer HS) and sophomore goalie Sharon Ku (Cerritos HS) all finished with three steals each.

Ku also recorded six saves in the victory,offensive being provided by Vela (two goals), along with five other players scoring once.

It was a little more tense in the game against the #4-seeded Mounties, as the Falcons had a hard time shaking their opponent. Leading 7-4 in the third quarter after a Harvey goal, Mt. San Antonio's Kristen Swafford scored three straight goals to the the game at 7-7 with 2:02 left in the third quarter. But the Cerritos defense tightened up and Ku came up with a couple of big saves before sophomore Katherine Gabayeron (Cerritos HS) scored the eventual game-winning goal with 1:40 left in the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Falcons did not allow a goal, while Harvey, who scored four times, added an insurance goal with 4:02 remaining. Gabayeron finished with three goals, with freshman Angelica Hernandez (El Rancho HS) posting three steals, as did Ku.

Photo by Daryl Peterson