SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The SBCC women's soccer team ended its home stand with a 3-2 win over Santa Monica on Tuesday afternoon at La Playa Stadium, highlighted by some stellar moments of offensive magic.
The win puts the Vaqueros at 3-2 on the year while dropping the Corsairs to 0-2-1.
"I thought we started the game brightly," head coach John Sisterson said. "We were looking to go forward and I thought all the goals were tremendous. They struck the ball really well."
For the third straight game, SBCC struck first in the opening half. In the 4th minute, Monica Pizano sent a ball into the center of the box from the right wing, and while fighting off a defender, forward Natani Kent-Earle volleyed an unstoppable shot in off the bottom of the crossbar.
On a day where the final scoreline wasn't necessarily reflective of how the match went, Santa Barbara dominated the possession game the remainder of the half and was rewarded in the final minute.
With a combination of skill and strength, Sofia Orozco made her way past multiple defenders deep into the left side of the box. The forward's final move took her right into the body of a Corsair defender, earning a penalty for SBCC.
Monica Pizano would step up with a clinical finish from the spot to put the home side up 2-0. It was her team-leading fourth goal through five games.
Several minutes into the second half, Santa Monica received a gift, as Alexia Mallahi scored from near midfield. SBCC goalkeeper Analea Pule (3-2) appeared to be in position to receive the deep free kick before the ball took a huge bounce off the turf and over her, making its way into the back of the net to cut the Vaquero lead in half.
The Vaqueros remained aggressive on the attacking front, needing less than five minutes to double their lead once more. Finding herself with plenty of room down the left side, defender Citlali Zambrano put away perhaps the best finish of the day, firing one towards the far post and placing it perfectly into the top right corner.
"I thought the first goal we conceded was very unlucky. The sun was in her eyes, and it was just one of those things. It happens," Sisterson said. "But I thought we were always on the front foot. We took our chances well and had three very good goals."
SMC added one more goal in the final minutes, as a clearance from Pule fell right to Ali Alban who scored into an empty net.
"There was an opportunity when we went ahead to give some girls some minutes who hadn't played previously," said Sisterson. "They train hard, stay eligible in the classroom, and during the games, it's important that they enjoy it. That's the main thing."
Santa Barbara's offensive pressure led to a 15-7 advantage in shots and 4-2 in corner kicks. The Vaqueros will return to the road next Tuesday for a 2:00 p.m. meeting at Chaffey College.
