Cristian Diaz of Santa Ana College maintains control of the ball in a match this season. (Photo courtesy SAC Sports Information).
Santa Ana College men’s soccer team, which captured a share of the Orange Empire Conference title last week, will open the CCCAA SoCal Regional Playoffs Saturday. The Dons will be the No. 8 seed and with host No. 9 Irvine Valley at 11 a.m. in an OEC rematch to advance.
The season series record between these two teams is 1-1 with SAC defeating the Lasers 3-1 back on Oct. 15 and IVC getting a late goal to win 1-0 on Nov. 9.
With a 3-1 win over the Orange Coast Pirates (6-9-4, 2-7-3) last Friday afternoon, the Dons secured their 27th Orange Empire Conference Championship. The Dons ended the 2021 regular season with a record of 9-5-6, 6-2-4 to tie with the Golden West Rustlers at the top of the standings.
Right from the start, the Dons established themselves as the aggressors as they took five shots and earned four corner kicks in the first half to put the pressure on the Pirate defense.
In just the eighth minute of the match Julian Cardenas scored on a pass from Joshua Lezama to give the Dons an early lead. Twenty minutes later, the Dons extended their lead with another goal, this time by Omar Rodriguez who scored on a pass from Porfirio Sandoval.
And at the 36 minute mark Josue Martinez connected with Rodriguez for yet another goal to seemingly put the game away before the break.
OCC managed to get one back, scoring one in with about 16 minutes left but the Dons held on to finish on top.
Tickets for Saturday’s match are $12 for adults and $8 for students, faculty, staff, senior citizens 60 years and over, and children under 12.
Source: Santa Ana College sports information
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