Lady Jags striving for perfection on the pitch

by Phillip Brents

The Southwestern College football team isn’t the only sport on campus having a great season. Just ask the school’s men and women’s soccer teams. They’re both competing for Pacific Coast Athletic Conference championships.

Both soccer teams were in action Tuesday on campus in a double-header. In the early game, SWC defeated Miramar College, 2-0, in a women’s matchup. In the nightcap, the Jaguars dropped a 2-1 setback to Palomar College in a must-win contest for both teams.

The Lady Jags improved their season record to 9-0-6, 8-0-3 in conference, 5-0-4 at home. They’re fighting for an undefeated regular season.

Last year’s SWC women’s team finished regular season play 15-4-4 overall, 12-2-2 in conference, before advancing two rounds in the Southern California playoffs.

The Lady Jags are battling MiraCosta for this year’s PCAC title. Both teams entered Tuesday with identical conference records. MiraCosta hosts Southwestern on Friday in what could be a final showdown for the championship.

The teams fought to a scoreless standoff in their first-round meeting at DeVore Stadium on Sept. 22.

“I think with this group that whatever challenge we have given them, they’ve met it,” SWC coach Carolina Soto said. “It’s been very gratifying.”

Claudette Gonzalez (Montgomery) and Sophia Neri (CETYS) each scored first-half goals on Tuesday while goalkeeper Samantha Gudino (Patrick Henry) recorded the shutout win.

“We feel it’s an honor to be chasing an undefeated season,” Neri said.

“It’s taken a while for us to get to this point, a lot of hard work,” Gonzalez added.

“We really enjoy playing together, working hard, playing committed, staying up there,” Gudino said.

Southwestern has out-scored conference foes 40-5 in 11 matches with seven shutouts.

Meanwhile, the SWC men entered Tuesday’s game ranked sixth in the state (second in Southern California) and 20th in the nation based on their undefeated 9-0-3 record, 4-0-3 in PCAC. It was the first time in 12 years they had posted a national ranking.

Southwestern kicked off the season with 10 shutouts in their first 12 matches. Prior to Tuesday’s encounter with the visiting Comets, the Chula Vista team had only allowed one goal in conference play with an 18-1 goal-differential.

The Jags tuned up for Tuesday’s match by defeating visiting Imperial Valley College, 8-0, last Friday. Jorge Elijah Lopez led the way with three goals and one assist, Derek Palencia scored twice and Josue Urias, Christian Quezada and Luis Ernesto Navarro each scored once.

Ramses Martinez made two saves to record the shutout win.

Southwestern and Palomar had previously fought to a scoreless tie in the opening round of conference play, so SWC head coach Luis Cardona said anything was possible but added that for the Comets it was a must-win game.

The PCAC standings remain tight at the top with MiraCosta (11-3-1 overall) in first place with a 6-1-1 conference record and 19 points, followed by Cuyamaca (10-2-3 overall) at 5-1-2 with 17 points, Southwestern (9-1-3 overall) at 4-1-3 with 15 points, Palomar (6-4-3 overall) at 4-1-2 with 14 points and San Diego City (7-5-3 overall) also at 4-1-2 with 14 points. Trailing in the standings are Moramar (2-6-0, six points, 3-11-0 overall), Imperial Valley (1-7-0, three points, 2-14-0 overall)) and San Diego Mesa (0-8-0, zero points, 0-14-0 overall).

Southwestern plays at MiraCosta on Friday which now turns into a must-win game for the Jaguars.

Cardona prepped at Bonita Vista High School, winning a CIF championship in 2011 against Hilltop. He coached one season at his alma mater. As a player, he has competed in Brazil, Canada and Italy.

He has a winning formula.

The Jags are playing with a rebuilt roster this season with 17 new recruits that has changed the direction of the program.

“Our back line is phenomenal,” Cardona said. “We’ve conceded two goals and are the No. 1 team in the state with least goals allowed (heading into Tuesday). Two weeks ago, we searching for goals and now we’re scoring left and right.”

PCAC SOCCER STANDINGS

Men
Conference/Overall
MiraCosta 6-1-1, 11-3-1
Cuyamaca 5-1-2, 10-2-3
Southwestern 4-1-3, 9-1-3
Palomar 3-1-2, 6-4-3
San Diego City 4-1-2, 7-5-3
Miramar 2-6-0, 3-11-0
Imperial Valley 1-7-0, 2-14-0
San Diego Mesa 0-8-0, 0-14-0

Women
Conference/Overall
Southwestern 8-0-3, 9-0-6
MiraCosta 7-0-3, 8-0-6
San Diego Mesa 6-1-4, 8-3-5
Miramar 6-2-3, 9-2-3
San Diego City 5—5-0, 5-6-1
Palomar 3-4-3, 3-6-4
Imperial Valley 2-9-0, 4-11-2
Grossmont 1-8-, 1-9-0
Cuyamaca 0-9-0, 2-9-0