Pirates battle Rustlers to 1-1 draw
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Golden West (7-1-2, 1-1-1) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|
Orange Coast (7-3-1, 1-1-1) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
COSTA MESA -- In a matchup that had the intensity of a football game, the backdrop of LeBard Stadium was appropriate as the Orange Coast College women's soccer team earned a 1-1 draw with rival Golden West College on Tuesday night in a crucial Orange Empire Conference matchup.
In a battle between two of the top-20 teams in the state, the No. 20 Pirates (7-3-1, 1-1-1 in the OEC) earned the hard-fought stalemate with the 8th-ranked Rustlers (7-1-2, 1-1-1) with a late, second-half goal that needed a friendly bank off of a GWC player to find the back of the net.
After falling behind 1-0 in the opening minute of the second half, Coast did everything possible to try and get back to level play over the next 44 minutes of action. With 24 minutes left to go, Alexis Lastra drove down the right side and fired in a shot from a very tough angle and the ball nearly beat GWC goalkeeper Sierra Carter, but the ball rang off of the right goalpost, keeping GWC ahead 1-0. The Rustlers grabbed the 1-0 lead on their first possession of the second half when Alexandra Ortenzo blocked a couple of clearing opportunities, picked up possession and beat OCC goalkeeper Samantha Ortega for the first goal of the contest.
Finally, in the 82nd minute, Chantelle Sanchez beat her defender down the right side and looked to send in a pass to an open Pirate teammate, but the ball was redirected by a GWC player and the ball found its way past Carter and into the back of the net, leveling the score at 1-1.
After a near-goal in the opening minute of the first half by the Rustlers, OCC carried control throughout most of the play in the opening 45 minutes. Coast had five corner-kick opportunities and outshot the Rustlers 11-5. Things evened out in the second half as the middle of the field was an even battle for both teams, leaving only a handful of scoring opportunities for either squad.
Carter finished the night with seven saves for the Rustlers, while Ortega earned five saves for Coast.
OCC will return to conference action on Friday at Saddleback College, beginning at 3 p.m. Coast's next home match will take place on Friday, Oct. 17 against Cypress College, beginning at 3 p.m. inside the OCC Soccer Complex.
