Pirates control action, but late goal gives Chargers 1-0 win
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cypress (12-1-5, 9-0-4) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|
Orange Coast (11-5-3, 8-4-2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College women's soccer team controlled play for nearly the entire match against one of the top teams in the state, but a late goal by Cypress was the difference-maker as the Pirates suffer a heartbreaking 1-0 loss on Tuesday afternoon.
In a battle between two of the top three teams in the Orange Empire Conference, the third-place Pirates (11-5-3, 8-4-2 in conference) gave the second-place Chargers (12-1-5, 9-0-4) all they could handle and more, but the hosts just couldn't find the back of the net despite several point-blank scoring opportunities.
The Pirates were relentless through the first half of play, outshooting the Chargers, 17-1, through the first 45 minutes, but a pair of shots clanked off of the crossbar and several others sailed just past either goal post and the contest remained scoreless.
Cypress came out with more urgency in the second half and the shots showed a much closer matchup (6-5 in favor of OCC). Finally, in the 77th minute a cross pass by Charger player Marissa Gulley found its way to the head of teammate Kristen Nolan and the freshman forward made no mistake, burying her shot into the back of the net.
From there, the deflated Pirates had no answer as the revitalized Chargers controlled play following Nolan's goal.
Cypress goalkeeper Angeles Alvarez kept the Pirates off the scoreboard during the hectic first half and her hard work paid off with a victory for the guests. She finished with 11 saves, while OCC netminder Tara Tellez came up with three saves.
The Pirates return to action on Friday under the lights of Dick Tucker Field against Santa Ana, beginning at 7 p.m.
