The Cerritos College women’s soccer team survived a late scare in round three of the Southern California Regional Playoffs Saturday, Nov. 26.
San Bernardino Valley College gave the Falcons a run for their money as Cerritos was able to escape with a 4-1 win via penalty kicks after the two teams tied 1-1 after two overtime periods.
Head coach Ruben Gonzalez admitted, “It was a difficult game because of the rain [but] we made it more difficult than it should have been.”
He also admitted that he felt frustration after regulation and the overtime periods.
“[I was] a little frustrated because we had chances and we did not put [the Wolverines] away,” Gonzalez said.
That philosophy is something that Gonzalez’s team understands, especially sophomore forward Natalie De Leon.
“That’s one of the major things that [Gonzalez] always tells us. We need to put away teams better than [a] 1-0 lead, because one stupid call or mistake could tie up the game easily.
“Especially, since the referee clearly wasn’t giving us the calls we deserved and considering the weather conditions, anything could happen,” she said.
De Leon got the Falcons the lead early as she scored the game’s first goal in the ‘4 minute of play.
“When I got passed the ball […] I knew I had a good enough shot to make something happen. I just hit the [post] and it dipped right under the goalkeeper. That goal felt amazing because scoring in playoff games are way more exciting than in regular play,” she said.
As a team the Falcons had 13 shots on goals to the Wolverines four. De Leon had six shots on goal by herself.
She said, “In the huddle before the game, I told everyone that we needed to test the goalkeeper because it was raining […] I need to make a difference offensively. I knew if I had the opportunity to shoot then I should.
“Our team creates opportunities and chances for each other to get on the board. It’s important that I keep looking for those shots in the next final games.”
Despite the numbers all pointing in favor of the Falcons, Gonzalez feels the team needs De Leon to play better if the team hopes to complete what would be a record fifth straight state championship.
“We had them on their heels but we just could not find the back of the net. [De Leon] played well but we need her to player better for us to win a championship,” Gonzalez said.
De Leon’s next shot to please her coach will be a Final Four matchup with Folsom Lake College Friday, Dec. 2.
The Wolverines tied the game at 1 apiece in the ’79 minute on a penalty kick. But when the game went to penalty kicks with the game on the line, the Falcons ruled winning 4-1.
The Falcons soared almost unfazed through the first two rounds of the SoCal Regional Playoffs.
The team defeated Mt. San Jacinto in the first round, 3-1. Offensive Player of the Year Itzel Ballesteros, sophomore forward Cheyenne De Los Reyes and sophomore midfielder Carolina Jaramillo all scored for Cerritos.
In the second round match-up, Cerritos played from behind early to defeat Moorpark 6-3. Jaramillo added two more goals to her total as sophomore midfielder Dana Jacobs added her first.
The star of the night was sophomore forward Ashli Villalobos, who found the back of the net three times.
Despite this game being closer on the scoreboard, Gonzalez insists the message to the team remains the same.
“Our goal all year is to win a state championship. We take it a game at a time, [this] was another game we needed to keep moving forward,” Gonzalez concluded.
