Pirates hit the road, shock Santa Ana, 4-2

SANTA ANA -- Playing on one of the toughest soccer fields to win on this side of Wembley Stadium, the Orange Coast College men's soccer team made the eight-mile trek to Santa Ana College and defeated the Dons, 4-2 on Tuesday.

Just how tough is it to win at Santa Ana College for the opposition? Over the past three years, the Dons have posted a 30-6-8 record at home. After an undefeated home record last year, Tuesday's home setback was the first for SAC since a 3-1 loss to College of the Canyons in the 2010 Southern California Regional Finals.

The Dons (7-2-3, 4-1 Orange Empire Conference) -- OEC champs for the past 18 seasons -- jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute when Noel Arvizu took a pass from Ricardo Gonzalez at the top of the goalie box and fired a shot just inside the post.

But the Pirates (7-3-1, 3-2) didn't wilt under the pressure and tied things up less than a minute later when Dong-Gi Shin took a cross-pass from Jorge Sanchez and headed the ball into the goal to make it 1-1.

Shin and his scoring touch with the noggin was at it again right before halftime as he took a pass off of a free kick from Brandon Bauman and headed the ball past the SAC goalkeeper to make it 2-1.

In the 57th minute, Sanchez scored off of a Bauman feed to make it 3-1, but the Dons would respond in the 65th minute when a Christian Duarte header found the back of the net to make it 3-2.

But the Pirates would hold off the Dons the rest of the way and in the 82nd minute, Chase Nugent put the finishing touches on an impressive road win by scoring off a Sanchez assist to close out the scoring.

Connor Nelson picked up seven saves for the Pirates to earn the win. SAC netminder Jose Garcia, who came in the 32nd minute following an injury to starter Chris Martinez, allowed four goals had one save.

The Pirates will return to the OCC Soccer Complex on Friday against Fullerton, beginning at 1 p.m.