Orange Coast College

Women's Soccer: Pirates suffer first loss of season

Friday, September 18, 2009

COSTA MESA -- So much for "home cooking".

The Orange Coast College women's soccer team, fresh off a 5-0 road trip to start the season, had its first home match of the season and the results weren't so good -- a 2-1 Orange Empire Conference loss to Santiago Canyon on Friday.

It was a hard-fought contest between two solid teams, but in the end, a goal in the 67th minute by Evelyn Gomez proved to be the difference.

SCC (5-0-1, 2-0 in conference) got on the scoreboard first when a cross-pass found the foot of Monique Silva and the sophomore midfielder buried her shot into the back of the net in the 25th minute.

OCC (5-1, 1-1) answered right back in the 28th minute when Karyn Bales dribbled around her defender and from about 15 yards out, slipped a perfect shot over the outstretched hands of Hawks' goalkeeper Marissa Ghani and under the crossbar to tie the game.

Following Gomez' tiebreaking goal, OCC had a great chance to even things up again in the 88th minute. Sarah Gomez used a long run past her defender to rip a shot that was saved by backup goalkeeper Cassie Becker. The ball deflected to OCC's Kallie Ryker on the right side, but her shot buzzed the outside of the right post.

OCC's goalkeeper Alyssa Simon recorded nine saves, while Becker and Ghani combined for four saves for the Hawks.

Coast will return to action on Tuesday at Cypress before returning to the OCC Soccer Complex on Friday to host Santa Ana. Both games will begin at 3 p.m.