Mt. SAC Women Soccer Play Santiago Canyon Tough in Non-conference Opener, Lose 2-0

Mt. SAC Women Soccer Play Santiago Canyon Tough in Non-conference Opener, Lose 2-0

By John M. Sherrard

(Walnut, CA) For 75 minutes the Mt. SAC Women's Soccer team held a very tough Santiago Canyon College team from scoring, but two quick goals within five minutes late in the game sent the Mounties to a season-opening defeat.

"We played great defense throughout the game and just needed that initial goal to take a lead," Mt. SAC Women's coach Melinda Bowen said.

"They are a very good team and I'm very proud of my girls for their effort. We just need to finish."

Santiago Canyon lost in the Southern California Regional finals last year.

A tenacious Mountie defense turned away Santiago Canyon opportunities, including sophomore goal keeper Cassidy Mount early (6th minute) in the game on a hard shot from the top of the box.

Sophomore center back Sydney Duran made, perhaps the stop of the half, when a ball dribbled away from Mount and Duran knocked the ball away as it was dribbling towards the goal in the 24th minute. Mount turned away 13 of 15 shots in the game.

The Mounties, who will continue its nonconference schedule at Fullerton this Friday (4:00pm), came out strong on offense in the second half.  Sophomore center midfielder Evette Luna took a free kick (47th minute) from long distance that the Santiago Canyon keeper made a nice stop. In the 55th and 58th minutes, Freshman forward Julia Harris crossed the ball over to freshman forward Kin Spencer but the Hawks keeper knocked the ball away. Just minutes later sophomore outside midfielder Alexis Cavalier passed the ball over to Luna, who just kicked the ball over the goal.   

That was followed by a through ball and a long shot by Cavalier that was turned away by the keeper in the 70th minute.

However, in the second half, which was mostly controlled by the Mounties, Santiago Canyon scored two quick goals in the 75th and 80th minutes to put the game away.

Shining on defense were sophomores Karina Barbosa, Jazmine Angulo and Duran.

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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.