Pirates suffer tough loss to Chargers, 2-1
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cypress (5-4-1, 4-1-1) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|
Orange Coast (5-2-4, 3-1-2) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
COSTA MESA -- In a match that looked like a loss, then, looked like a tie ... became a heartbreaking loss for the Orange Coast College women's soccer team as the Pirates dropped a 2-1 decision to rival Cypress College on Tuesday at the OCC Soccer Complex.
The Chargers (5-4-1, 4-1-1 in Orange Empire Conference) scored early when a misread by the OCC defense turned into a breakaway goal by Margaret Zisk in the 10th minute of the match.
It stayed that way for the majority of the match, with neither team getting any more decent scoring chances.
Finally, in the 80th minute, OCC's Lupe Gonzalez had space between the defense and the Cypress goalkeeper before she was fouled inside the Chargers' penalty area, giving the Pirates a PK opportunity.
Rodriguez composed herself and ripped a shot past Chargers' goalkeeper Melanie Hernandez (three saves) to even the match at a goal apiece.
OCC nearly took the lead on another high-risk foul just outside the Cypress box, but the free kick could not be controlled near the goal mouth and the match remained tied.
But two minutes into a four-minute stoppage time, Chargers' forward Kristen Nolan sent a nice pass into space, where teammate Julissa Zuniga chipped a shot over OCC goalkeeper Alison Harlow (three saves) and into the far corner of the net for the winning goal.
The Pirates will now take to the road for three tough matches, beginning at Golden West College on Friday, beginning at 3 p.m. OCC's next home match will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 17 against Santiago Canyon, also at 3 p.m.
