Cerritos Captures Fifth Straight State Title In Dramatic Fashion
Courtesy of John Van Gaston - CCCSIA
VENTURA - Competing for their fifth consecutive CCCAA State Championship, the Cerritos College women's soccer team broke a scoreless tie in 97th minute and went on for a 2-0 overtime win over Diablo Valley College at the Ventura Sports Complex on Sunday afternoon. The fifth straight title by the Falcons (23-1-1) sets a new record for most consecutive titles in a row, snapping a tie with Long Beach City College, who won four in a row (2000-03).
Peppering shots at Vikings goalie Katie McLaughlin throughout the game, Cerritos finally broke through in the 97th minute when freshman Maria Hernandez took possession of the ball around the 30-yard mark, dribbled and got off a clean shot that went under the crossbar. Continuing to pressure the Vikings defense, Carolina Jaramillo added an insurance goal in the 118th minute when Ashli Villalobos saw her point blank shot saved and it landed in front of Jaramillo. Last year's Most Valuable Player, Jaramillo clinched the seventh state title in school history.
"We're a battle-tested team and it came through today," said head coach Ruben Gonzalez. "Diablo Valley came out with a good defensive game plan and they were well-prepared."
The Falcons came out and unleashed shot after shot on McLaughlin, who was credited with 17 saves on the day, including several from close range. On the other side of the field, Cerritos goalie Ruby Nichols posted two saves, but was protected by her solid defense. Leading the way was defender Dana Jacobs, who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.