Pirates fight back to earn 2-2 tie with Saddleback

by OCC Sports Information

COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College women's soccer team battled Saddleback to a 2-2 tie to open up Orange Empire Conference play on Tuesday afternoon at the OCC Soccer Complex.

Originally slated for Saddleback College, Tuesday's game was moved to OCC after the early-morning rains made the Gauchos' field unplayable. The Gauchos (4-0-1, 0-0-1) made the most of their "home field advantage" by taking a 2-0 lead in the first half on goals by Emilee Monnig and Amber Martin.

After a sluggish start, the Pirates (1-2-2, 0-0-1) picked up their game and got back to within a goal in the 41st minute of the first half when Ana Villanueva sent a beautiful, long pass that Syndee Busby raced down. Busby then went 1-on-1 with Gauchos' goalkeeper Shana Leventhal and the Coast forward won the battle, finding the back of the net to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Saddleback quickly regrouped and raced back down the field and nearly made it 3-1, but OCC defender Manuela Ramirez came up big and swept a potential third goal away from its intended target.

That play became huge as Coast turned up the intensity in the second half and controlled play for most of the final 45 minutes of play. The Pirates held the Gauchos at bay and did not allow any good scoring chance the rest of the way, while generating plenty of their own.

In the 60th minute, Busby slipped a nice pass over to teammate Cori Haney, who beat Leventhal to the right and tied things up at 2-2.

OCC's Odalis Elias had three saves, while Leventhal notched six for the Gauchos.

Coast will play at Fullerton College on Friday, beginning at 3 p.m.

http://www.occpirateathletics.com/sports/wsoc/2015-16/releases/201509161a21ns