Pirates pick up 3-2 win over Lasers

IRVINE -- In a sport where playoff spots can be lost with one bad game, for the Orange Coast College men's soccer team, it was the exact opposite as the Pirates picked up a crucial 3-2 road win at Irvine Valley College on Friday.
 
Against one of the top teams in the Orange Empire Conference, the win couldn't have come at a better time for the Pirates (10-6, 6-4 in OEC), who should jump back into the playoff picture with the power points picked up from Friday's win.
 
With the loss, the Lasers fall to 10-5-2, 6-3-1.
 
The Pirates, who outshot the Lasers 16-10 for the match, grabbed a 1-0 lead on a goal by Chase Nugent off of a pass by Jose Rodriguez in the ninth minute.
 
It remained 1-0 through the rest of the first half, although Coast had a couple of excellent scoring opportunities denied by Lasers' goalkeeper Diego Chacon (seven saves).
 
In the 50th minute, the Pirates took a much-needed two-goal advantage when Brendon Bauman slipped a pass to Dong-Gi Shin, who beat Chacon with a shot into the back of the net.
 
IVC fought back and made it a one-goal match when Fredy Razo ripped a free kick from 30 yards out into the back of the net in the 59th minute.
 
Finally, OCC put the finishing touches on its scoring in the 84th minute when Antonio Gonzalez took a pass from Victor Lopez and buried the Pirates' third goal of the afternoon.
 
Razo, the conference's leading scorer, notched his 16th goal of the season in the 89th minute, but the Lasers ran out of time and the Pirates headed home with their fourth win in a row.
 
With the win, Orange Coast is now just one point behind the Lasers for third place in the OEC, trailing Golden West and Santa Ana. More power points are available for the Pirates on Tuesday as they host the defending OEC champion Dons, beginning at 3 p.m.