Pirates double-up Chargers, 6-3
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cypress (8-4-0, 2-3-0) | 0 | 3 | 3 |
|
Orange Coast (9-3-2, 3-1-2) | 3 | 3 | 6 |
COSTA MESA -- It was a win that was 12 years in the making for the Orange Coast College women's soccer team as the Pirates scored early and often for a 6-3 win over visiting Cypress College on Friday at the OCC Soccer Complex.
Chantelle Sanchez picked up three goals and an assist for the Pirates (9-3-2, 3-1-2 in the Orange Empire Conference), while Olivia Hostetler added two goals and two assists, lifting OCC past the Chargers (8-4, 2-3) for the first time since a 5-1 win back on Oct. 25, 2013.
It was looking like smooth sailing for the Pirates after a convincing first half. Two early goals from Hostetler and Sanchez and a last-minute tally in stoppage time by Jocelyn Culp put Coast up 3-0 through the opening 45 minutes.
It's only natural to ease off the gas pedal a bit and the Chargers came out with purpose to start the second half. Joey Duong scored in the 58th minute after a couple of early close calls and Cypress trimmed the deficit to 3-1.
Coast regrouped and took advantage of some do-or-die play by the Chargers, allowing Hostetler and Sanchez to score within a span of three minutes, putting OCC up, 5-1 in the 68th minute.
But, Cypress responded with a two-goal run over the next six minutes with tallies from Alisa Kangas and Jasmin De La Torre and suddenly, it was back to a two-goal contest with 17 minutes remaining.
With the next goal so crucial, Coast finally iced things when a long pass from Kennedy Heimer found the foot of Sanchez, who ripped a perfect shot to the top portion of the goal in the 78th minute to finalize the back-and-forth scoring for both teams.
Cypress goalkeeper Emila Penaloza had nine saves, while OCC's Samantha Ortega earned eight saves.
The Pirates will return to the OCC Soccer Complex on Tuesday when they take on Fullerton College, beginning at 3 p.m.
