Pirates fight hard, but fall late to Hawks
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Santiago Canyon (14-0-3, 11-0-2) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|
Orange Coast (7-8-3, 5-7-2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College women's soccer team gave one of the top teams in the state a run for its money, but in the end, the Pirates came up one goal short and lost 1-0 to visiting Santiago Canyon on Tuesday afternoon at the OCC Soccer Complex.
The Hawks (14-0-3, 11-0-2 in the Orange Empire Conference), ranked No. 1 in Southern California and No. 3 in the state, were held to just eight shots (four on frame) the entire afternoon, as the Pirates (7-8-3, 5-7-2) used a sound defensive gameplan and kept danger to a minimum.
"That was about as good as you can play against a team like that and to come out with a loss is extremely disappointing," OCC head coach Kevin Smith said. "We're fighting for a playoff spot and we needed a result (a win or a tie) today to really give us a boost in the rankings. It was a great effort from everyone out there."
Both teams battled back and forth until finally, in the 85th minute, SCC's Andrea Najera sent a pass over to Rosario Gonzalez, who sent a shot toward the upper portion of the goal.
OCC's goalkeeper, Karsen Camarena got two hands on the ball, but could not corral it in as it slipped past her into the goal.
The Hawks' defense, which has held the opposition to just eight goals in 17 contests, held Coast without a shot until the 83rd minute, when McKayla Carter headed a corner kick towards goal, but the attempt sailed high.
Coast will return to action on Monday, at home, against Norco College, beginning at 3 p.m.
