Cardiac Coyotes cap off non-conference slate with heart-stopping victory

STOCKTON, Calif. — What a way to end the non-conference schedule.

LTCC trailed 2-1 in the 90th minute but scored twice in injury time to escape Delta College with a 3-2 victory.

Yoell Montes scored what Delta College thought would be the game-winner in the 90th minute; however, LTCC's Alexis Soto had something to say about it.

He scored off a rebound to make it 2-2 and at least rescue a point, but he wasn't done there. Gathering the ball again off the restart, he found Mason Franks, who deposited his fifth goal of the season past the Delta goalkeeper to hand LTCC the win.

The Coyotes (3-4-3), who went winless between Sept. 9 and 19, have now won consecutive games for the first time under first-year head coach Carlos Trujeque Leal and head into Tuesday's Golden Valley Conference (GVC) opener at Shasta College (Sept. 29, 4 p.m.) with renewed confidence.

Franks continued his offensive tear with his team-leading fifth goal of the season and has registered seven points (three goals, one assist) over the team's last four games. He's no stranger to late-match heroics, having scored twice in the final 10 minutes in a 2-1 victory over American River back on Sept. 8.

Delta (3-4-2) scored in the first minute of the match to take an early lead and held it into halftime.

Quinton Alewine scored for the second time in his last three appearances to tie it 1-1 in the 60th minute off a deflection.

Soto, Alewine and Franks are tied for the team-lead with three assists in 2026.

Following the GVC opener at Shasta, the Coyotes return home for back-to-back conference matches against Feather River (Oct. 2, 4pm) and Siskiyous (Oct. 6, 4pm).