Daniel Cromar
Another great season comes to a close.
After a thrilling first round overtime victory over Moorpark College, the women’s soccer team fell 3-0 to the #1 seeded Cerritos Falcons in Cerritos on Nov. 25, bringing their season and their shot at a state championship to an end.
“The Moorpark game was very tough, and it took a lot out of us,” said head coach Adolfo Perez. “We beat them in overtime and now we play the number one team in the state.”
To go from playing anyone to playing Cerritos is a big jump. The Falcons lead the state in scoring with 105 goals, and after another 3-0 victory, this one coming over Mt. San Antonio on Saturday, they now boast a record of 19-0-4, and will advance to the semifinal round of the playoffs as they march toward their second consecutive state championsip.
Early on, it looked like the Brahmas were going to be able to match up against this soccer powerhouse. They were managing to keep the Falcons quiet, and, while they weren’t taking many shots, the ones they were taking were very close to being goals. Had they been just a little closer, the game could have ended very differently.
“We had opportunities,” said Perez. “In the first half we had two or three opportunities and we didnt score, and we paid the consequences.”
In the last five minutes of the half, however, the Falcons finally broke through and quickly scored two goals, one of them coming from Falcons sophomore Monique Cisneros, the state’s leading goal scorer, which brought her total for the year to a resounding 36.
The Falcons then went into cruise control, putting in their third goal about halfway through the second half. While it can’t really be said that the Brahmas gave up at any point, it was clear that at that point, the Falcons had put the final nail in the coffin. Their defense shut down any further chances the Brahmas had to score, and that was how it ended.
“I think we played a tough game,” said Pierce goalkeeper Betty Ramirez, who had eight saves. “We had two mistakes in the first half, but in the second half, I don’t think we gave up. We stayed together as a team and we kept playing how we played all year.”
While it never feels good to lose, the Brahmas should take solace in the fact that they lost to the team that will most likely win the state championship.
“They’re a good team,” said Pierce freshman and leading goal scorer Stephanie Cubias. “You can’t take that away from them.”
When asked if intimidation played a factor in the Brahmas’ loss, Perez replied “That had a lot to do with it.”
Regardless of the outcome, the Brahmas can look back on this season as one to be proud of.
“It was a great year and the girls played hard,” said Pierce College Athletic Director Bob Lofrano. “There are a lot of soccer players who wish that they were playing today, and they’re not, because we were…You look back, it’s a great year.”
Goalkeeper Betty Ramirez makes makes a save in the second half of the Nov. 25 playoff at Cerritos. She finished with eight saves. ()