White Knuckle

Glendora, CA -- The Citrus College Women's Soccer team picked up their second straight Western State Conference South Division win of the year, and did so by putting forth their best offensive performance of the year. In spite of all that it wasn't easy, as the Owls hung on for a white knuckle win 4-3 over visiting LA Valley College.

Things started off swimmingly enough for the Owls. Citrus took control of the tempo of the match from the opening touch, and it soon paid off. Freshman Kacie Licata got her feet on the ball deep in Monarch territory, dribbled to the right baseline and sent a screaming cross into the box. With no one but the keeper to beat, the ball went over the keepers reach and off the body of the crashing Rebekah Evans and into the net to give the Owls a 1-0 lead just five minutes into the contest.

Citrus continued to pound the Valley defense in the first half, sending 10 shots in total towards the Monarch goal. Three more besides the goal scored found their way on frame, but the other three were turned away, as the Owls went into the half up 1-0.

In the second, the Owls continued to apply pressure. Freshman midfielder Cindy Ramirez gave Citrus some breathing room when she took a pass from Evans at the top of the box and buried it in the back of the net in the 57th minute. Ramirez would make it 3-0 just over 10 minutes later when she took a pass from freshman Alessandra Perez-Negron and put it in the back of the net.

Up comfortably, the Owls began to crack on the defensive half of the field. Valley scored twice between the 74th and 78th minutes, one off a free kick from the top of the box and the other on a corner that was scored by the person taking the corner kick. With the Owls' lead suddenly back to one, Ramirez put the team on her back and tried to give them more space with her third goal of the game in the 79th minute to make it 4-2.

Valley would not go quietly. The Monarchs scored yet another long distance goal in the 83rd minute to put the Owls up by just a single goal again. Citrus finally clamped back down, and didn't allow a single Valley shot over the final seven minutes and stoppage time to secure the win.

With the win, Citrus improves to 4-3-3 on the season and 2-0-1 in WSC South play. The Owls will hit the road for a tough early conference test when they take on Bakersfield College in Bakersfield. That match is set for a 4:00 PM start this Friday.