Getting their first taste of action in 20 months, the Cerritos College men's soccer team opened the 2021 season with a 2-0 road win against College of the Desert on Friday night. The game was pushed back an hour due to excessive heat, while the teams took mandatory water breaks in each half. The Falcons (1-0-0) will play their home opener on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. when they host Imperial Valley College.
Maintaining possession of the ball for the majority of the first half, Cerritos was still unable to get on the scoreboard. They peppered Roadrunners goalkeeper Sebastian Ascencio with 16 first-half shots, but went into intermission scoreless.
With the weather continuing to play a factor in the energy level of both teams, the Falcons turned their depth into an advantage, as they got on the board in the 75th minute when sophomore Armando Ibarra, Jr. (Downey HS) chipped a ball past Ascencio, with freshman Daniel Villegas (Connections Acadamey HS) assisting on the goal.
That goal seemed to wake up Cerritos, as they erupted onto the field to celebrate their first goal of the game and season. It would only take four minutes for the Falcons to add an insurance goal when freshman Arnold Castillo (Bell Gardens HS) finished the play set up by freshman Marcel Salceda (Baker Web Academy, OR HS). The second team reaction to the goal earned the bench a yellow card. But that would be enough for freshman goalkeeper Pablo Rivera (Basalt, CO HS) and his teammates to secure the shutout and win.
"Very proud of the guys today," stated head coach Benny Artiaga. "The conditions were really tough, and with temperatures hitting 118, it forced the match to be delayed over an hour. And due to Covid protocols, many guys were not allowed to travel. Hopefully, next game, we're at full strength and can start to find the right chemistry. It was a great start to our season."
Photos courtesy of the College of the Desert SID Office
January 10, 2022
M. Soccer: Trio of players make their four-year decisions
November 27, 2021
M. Soccer: Season comes to an end with playoff loss
November 23, 2021
M. Soccer: #2-seeded Falcons one win away from state tournament
November 20, 2021
M. Soccer: Team extended to overtime before defeating Norco
November 18, 2021
M. Soccer: Team has 10 players earn conference awards
November 16, 2021
M. Soccer: Falcons seeded #2 for SoCal Regional Playoffs
November 12, 2021
M. Soccer: Falcons playing for conference tournament title
November 12, 2021
M. Soccer: Falcons settle score with Long Beach City
November 9, 2021
M. Soccer: Win sends Falcons to conference tournament finals
October 29, 2021
M. Soccer: Unbeaten streak ended by Long Beach City
October 26, 2021
M. Soccer: Road win at Mt. San Antonio biggest of the season
October 22, 2021
M. Soccer: Defense continues to come up big in shutout win
October 19, 2021
M. Soccer: Falcons post 2-0 win over #11-ranked Rio Hondo
October 15, 2021
M. Soccer: Cerritos wins fifth straight after 2-0 victory
October 12, 2021
M. Soccer Falcons record sixth shutout of the season
October 8, 2021
M. Soccer: Scoring machine keeps churning for Falcons
October 5, 2021
M. Soccer: Armando Ibarra nets pair of goals in Falcons win
September 28, 2021
M. Soccer: Falcons record 3-0 shutout win in final non-conference game
September 24, 2021
M. Soccer: Cerritos plays #2 Taft to a scoreless tie
September 14, 2021
M. Soccer: Team stretched to their limits in late win
September 8, 2021
M. Soccer: Early deficit doesn't slow down Falcons
September 7, 2021
M. Soccer: Hartnell Tournament nets Falcons split in two games
August 31, 2021
M. Soccer: Unrelenting offensive attack leads to 4-0 win
August 27, 2021
M. Soccer: Falcons start the season with 2-0 win