Small Steps

Glendora, CA -- The Citrus College Men's Soccer program took some small steps on Friday afternoon when they played host to visiting Los Angeles Mission College. While the Owls were left still searching for their first win this season at the end of the day, Citrus did put together it's most impressive offensive output of the young season in a 4-3 loss to the Eagles.

 The Owls took it to the Eagles early on in the game taking five shots in the first 45 minutes compared to just three for LA Mission. Mission just happened to be the first to convert one of those attempts, taking advantage of a missed clearance by Citrus in the 32nd minute to go up 1-0. It would take the rest of the period for the Owls to answer, but they did so in dramatic fashion when freshman Arturo Bueso sent a screaming pass up the goal line that was just out of the reach of the Eagle goalie and right at the feet of sophomore Trevora Pedroza who pounded it home in first half stoppage time to tie it up at 1-1.

Both teams picked up in the second half where they left off at the end of the first. Mission took a 2-1 lead in the 66th minute, only to watch the Owls tie the match back up at two goals apiece in the 69th minute when freshman Jose Saldana scored off a pass from freshman Fernando Garcia-Fuentes.

The tie didn't last long. The Eagles once again went back up on top with a strike in the 77th minute, and then added to their lead with a stoppage time goal to make it 4-2. The Owls would draw a penalty kick in the waning seconds of stoppage time, a goal that freshman Arturo Bueso made sure found the back of the net, but it was too little too  late for Citrus.

With the loss, Citrus falls to 0-5-1 on the season and 0-2-0 in WSC play. The Owls will be back out on the road on Tuesday when they travel to defending conference champs Oxnard College. The match is set for a 4:00 PM start time.