COD Men’s Soccer Begins New Chapter with Dramatic Win in New Stadium

Palm Desert, Calif. - The Roadrunners (1-0-1) scored the game-winning goal in the 90th minute to cap an exciting victory over the Jets (0-1) in the first men's soccer contest played at COD's new soccer facility.

Tuesday's match also marked the first meeting in program history between the Roadrunners and Miramar.

The new soccer field was constructed with Measure CC funds after voters in the Desert Community College District approved the bond measure in 2016.

Freshman goalkeeper Leonardo Castro (Holtville H.S.) made his first start in net for the Roadrunners and turned in an impressive performance. Castro faced seven shots on goal and made six saves, including several point-blank stops that brought the home crowd to its feet.

Miramar broke through late in the first half, capitalizing on a turnover in midfield. The Jets found the back of the net in the 41st minute to take a 1-0 lead into halftime.

The Roadrunners made several offensive adjustments during the break and began to put consistent pressure on the Miramar defense in the second half.

COD finally broke through in the 69th minute.

On a corner kick from sophomore forward Malakai Martinez (Palm Desert H.S.), freshman forward Pedro Martinez (Desert Mirage H.S.) drove a shot into the lower-right corner of the net to tie the match at 1-1. The goal was Pedro Martinez's third of the season, while Malakai Martinez recorded his first assist of the year.

The match remained deadlocked for the next 20 minutes as both teams battled for the go-ahead goal.

Then came the dramatic finish.

In the 89th minute, freshman midfielder Paul Jasso (La Quinta H.S.) threaded a pass through the Miramar defense to sophomore forward Jonathan Price (La Quinta H.S.). Price slipped behind the defense and sent a shot past the diving Jets goalkeeper to give the Roadrunners a 2-1 advantage.

The goal was Price's first of the season, while Jasso recorded his first assist.

More than five minutes of injury time followed, adding to an already electric atmosphere as both teams battled through exhaustion in the closing moments. When the final whistle sounded, the Roadrunners had secured a memorable victory in their first match on the program's new home field.

COD will return to action at home on Friday, Sept. 4, when the Roadrunners host the Bakersfield Renegades.

The Roadrunners first faced Bakersfield in 2019 and hold a 3-1 all-time record against the Renegades, including a perfect 2-0 mark in Palm Desert.

Bakersfield enters Friday's match with an 0-2 record after opening the season at the Mt. SAC/Azteca/Nike Tournament, where the Renegades suffered losses to Fullerton and Miami Dade.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 P.M. at College of the Desert.

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(Brian Sylva, College of the Desert Sports Information)