(Walnut, CA) After a shutout loss in the annual Mt. SAC Azteca/Adidas Soccer Tournament on Friday, the Mounties bounced back with a 3-0 win over Lake Tahoe on Sunday September 2 to finish in third place.
Richland College (Dallas, TX) won the tournament with a second shutout, defeating West Valley College, 3-0 on Sunday.
Mt. SAC keeper John Samano picked up his first college win and shutout and three different Mounties scored.
"We had a poor performance on Friday night as we got outworked and outplayed," said Mt. SAC coach Juan Sanchez of the 2-0 loss to Richland.
"We showed character and bounced back (Sunday) against Lake Tahoe."
Forward Giovanny Garcia scored his third goal of the season with a give and go at the top of the 18-yard box from midfielder Pedro Morales. Garcia ended up one-on-one with the Lake Tahoe keeper and scored, giving the Mounties a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute.
The second goal came five minutes before halftime (40th minute) that started with a crossing pass from midfielder Spencer Hines. After several rebounds in the box, forward Marty Raygoza put the ball in the goal from just inside the 6-yard box. Forward Ivan Escobar assisted on the goal.
The Mounties' Alfonso Lopez, on an assist from forward Gustavo Lopez, put an exclamation point on the win with a 20-yard blast from the top of the box in the 74th minute for the third goal.
"Samano (2 saves) kept a clean sheet (in goal) and defenders Robbie Munoz (Captain) and Jake Sowder had solid performances," Sanchez added.
The team will take a break in the schedule before embarking on a five-day, eastern trip for a couple of games in the Washington DC Azteca Soccer Tournament September 8-9. The Mounties will play Genessee Community College (NY) on Saturday September 8 and Montgomery County Community College (PA) on Sunday September 9.
"We are excited to play the defending national champions (Genessee) on our DC trip," Sanchez said. "It will be a two- game trip that will help us grow as a soccer team. The team and staff are looking forward to play top teams from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)."
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.