Defending champ Fresno City looks to defend men's soccer crown with Cerritos, City College of San Francisco and Golden West also hungry for the banner
Tournament Central (watch games, live stats, recaps, photos)
VENTURA - The stage is set for the 2018 California Community College Athletic Association Men’s Soccer State Championships as the defending champion Fresno City College Rams, the City College of San Francisco Rams, the Cerritos College Falcons and the Golden West College Rustler will battle it out for a state crown.
Competition begins at Ventura College on Friday with Fresno City (16-1-7), the North's top seed, taking on Golden West (13-5-5) and SoCal top seed Cerritos (20-1-2) facing City College of San Francisco (14-4-4) at 1 p.m. The winners meet for the championship on Sunday at 10 a.m.
Fresno City enters the State Championship tournament looking to haul its second consecutive title. The Rams worked through the NorCal regionals with victories over 16th-seeded Las Positas, eighth-seeded De Anza, and 13th-seeded Lake Tahoe. Their most thrilling victory came against De Anza as they prevailed in double-overtime with Chris Amaro netting the game winner in the final minute of action.
Eduardo Segura has been a strong presence for Fresno City, netting a pair of goals and picking up two assists, while Guillermo Gama has earned three wins in the net highlighted by 16 saves.
The City College of San Francisco shocked the soccer world by reaching the State Championship stage, highlighted by advancing in penalty kicks over second-seeded West Valley in the second round. Furthermore, the Rams defeated seventh-seeded Canada, 1-0, and sixth-seeded Butte in the form of penalty kicks.
Javier Hernandez stepped up in a big way by earning two victories after recording seven saves throughout the regional tournament. Jesus Martinez and Eruvey Arceta were responsible for the regulation goals in two of San Francisco’s three games.
Cerritos looks to snag its fourth state title in program history and the Falcons' first since 2014 as they enter into the weekend as the top seed out of the South. They have been consistently ranked top three in the California Community College Sports Information Association (CCCSIA) polls since week one and have no signs of slowing down.
The Falcons did not surrender a single score in the SoCal Regional rounds, defeating 16th-seeded Cuyamaca, 3-0, eighth-seeded Oxnard, 1-0 in double-overtime, and fifth-seeded Santa Monica, 3-0. They have allowed just one goal in the past six games and are currently riding a 12-game winning streak that stretches back to Oct. 12.
Kevin Diaz has put together a strong performance for Cerritos with scored two goals and dished out two assists, while Jordan Aldama has recorded 17 saves en route to three wins between the pipes. He has reigned supreme in 20 games this season.
Golden West enters into the championship tournament after earning the sixth seed after advancing on penalty kicks against 11th-seeded Santa Barbara City and third-seeded Fullerton, backed by a 2-0 victory over second-seeded Mt. San Antonio. The Rustlers look to earn their first state championship title since 1977.
In the victory over Mt. SAC, Eric Barriga and Jesus Vargas netted the pair of goals. Alain Hernandez earned one victory throughout the tournament, while Jose Vega notched 14 saves in both games where the Rustlers advanced via penalty kicks.
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(Nicho DellaValle, Riverside City College)