Falcons soar over Pierce women’s soccer team

There wasn’t much about the Brahmas performance, other then the fact they were playing the state and national champions of women’s soccer.

Pierce College’s soccer team were dominated in every facet of the game as the Cerritos College Falcons defeated the Lady Brahmas 7-0 on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

“It was good the way they played today,” Cerritos Head Coach Ruben Gonzalez said. “We have a lot of talent and a lot of chemistry here and that’s what we have come to expect.”

Midfielder Jill Messersmith, who in the fourth minute, crossed a corner kick that bent over Brahmas goalie Jenna Koziol for the game’s first goal.

Then in the 21st minute, midfielder Esmeralda Verdugo, who also plays for the Mexican national team, scored her first of two goals after a break down in the Brahmas defense.

Things got worse for Pierce College after freshman forward Alexis Aguinaga would leave the game with a sprained left ankle after getting her foot stepped on late in the first half.

After halftime Koziol would be substituted for freshman goalie Taylor Bailey who made her second appearance of the year. Despite making a game high seven saves, the defense allowed five goals in the second half including three goals in the final four minutes of the game.

“In my 26 years of coaching I have never seen anything like this,” said head coach Adolfo Perez who had to watch the game in the parking lot while serving the last game of his six game suspension. “I just think we were just making mental mistakes. I can understand if a team is good but allowing three goals in four minutes is embarrassing. We are going to have to go back to the drawing board and we are making major changes.”

In the past two games now, the Brahmas have not only been shutout but have allowed 12 goals in the past two games. Pierce lost to Santa Monica College last Friday 5-0.

Part of the reason why Perez thinks his team has allowed so many goals in because of the overall mental state of his team.

“We are just not focusing,” Perez said. “We go into games and they just don’t seem ready.”

Even with the two game losing streak the Brahmas still have hope. Last year’s team was four games into the season and had a record of 0-3-1 but went on to win the conference championship. This year’s team is 2-2 and will be back at it Friday on the road when they take on Long Beach City College at 2 p.m.