The state playoffs will feature both the Cerritos College men’s and women’s soccer teams, after both teams won their respective conferences.

The announcement was made Tuesday afternoon.

The women, who are ranked the No. 1 team in the country, and went undefeated this season, were seeded No. 1.

The men, who won the South Coast Conference by winning its last four games in a do-or-die state of mind, were seeded No. 2

“The men are peeking at the right time,” men’s head coach Benny Artiga said.

The women’s team will have home field advantage and will play its opening game against San Bernardino Valley on Saturday at 2 pm.

“It’s not going to be easy. The first game is always hard. We have played well and are focused,” women’s head coach Ruben Gonzalez said.  “The team is ready for the challenge.”

The men’s team will have to wait to see whom it will play because the team earned a first round bye and will play the winner of Riverside and Fullerton game.

Because the women’s bracket features 16 teams and the men’s features 13 teams, the men have a first round bye.

The women’s team has played San Bernardino earlier this season and beat the team 3-2.

The men’s team has had an inconsistent year, but over its last four games has been able to hit a stride and win every game.

If the team would have lost any of those games, it would not have won the South Coast Conference.

“It started with the win over El Camino,” midfielder Oscar Rodriguez said.
“The team was having troubles and the players knew they had to fix it or fall apart.”

He was also recently named MVP of the South Coast Conference.

Another member of the men’s team, who was recently named the defensive player of the year of the South Coast Conference, is defender Jonathon Rivas.

He was on last year’s team that lost to Santa Ana College in the third round of the playoffs.

“Last season’s early loss left a burden on all this year’s returning players,” he said.  “Now we want it more than ever.”