No. 1 seed Fresno City season ends with 1-0 loss

It had all just seemed so easy this season for Fresno City College women's soccer coach Oliver Germond.

The Rams scored goals in bunches first in the nonconference season and during Central Valley Conference play on their way to earning the No. 1 seed in the NorCal Regionals.

Those goals disappeared Tuesday.

Brittany Squarcia scored in the 75th minute and No. 8 Foothill shocked Fresno City 1-0 in the second round of the playoffs.

"(Foothill) came out with a game plan and put us under pressure and it worked," Germond said. "I was worried about that all year because it's been such a strange year because we were so dominant. I try to make the schedule as tough as possible to prepare us for these games, and based on the power points it was tough. What else can you do? They gave everything they had, and I know the girls are crushed."

The Rams (18-2-3) pressured early in the second half and had a couple of chances to get the ball to the back of the net, but Samantha Street made two key saves.

"Soccer is brutal because you can create chances and not score, and one person in one little space can be the difference," Germond said. "It's not like basketball where you're scoring points.

"I'm sad because this was such a fun year."

Foothill previously lost against the Rams 2-0 earlier this season -- and Owls interim coach Alan Kute said he had that in mind going into the match.

"We know that they're a good team," Kute said. "We weathered the storm beginning of the second half. Some close chances they almost got, and we were able to get the one and hold on."

The reporter can be reached at (559) 441-6042, agalaviz@fresnobee.com or @agalaviz_TheBee on Twitter.