Corsairs Pluck the Eagles

Akemi Rico | Staff Photographer & Writer

Santa Monica Corsairs' forward Darren Lewis (7) runs after the ball, followed closely by Eagle defender Brandon Navarrete (4) on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. Los Angeles during the men's soccer match against the Los Angeles Mission College Eagles. The Corsairs won, 2-1. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

Santa Monica Corsairs' midfielder Roey Kivity (10) runs after the ball, followed closely by teammate midfielder Alex Hernandez (center) and Eagle Ricardo Govea (right) on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. Los Angeles during the men's soccer match against the Los Angeles Mission College Eagles. The Corsairs won, 2-1. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

Santa Monica Corsairs' forward Milton De Oliveira (24) runs after the ball on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. Los Angeles during the men's soccer match against the Los Angeles Mission College Eagles. The Corsairs won, 2-1. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

Santa Monica Corsairs' forward Denilson Garcia (11) runs after the ball on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. Los Angeles during the men's soccer match against the Los Angeles Mission College Eagles. The Corsairs won, 2-1. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

Santa Monica Corsairs' goalie Joshua Guillen (1) kicks the ball on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. Los Angeles during the men's soccer match against the Los Angeles Mission College Eagles. The Corsairs won, 2-1. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

Santa Monica Corsairs' forward Philip Hephzibah had strong support in the stands during the men's soccer match against the Los Angeles Mission College Eagles on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. Los Angeles. (From left to right) Hephzibah's older brother Jonah Hephzibah, personal soccer coach Nyder Chardonnay, a friend who declined to be named, and his mother Joan Hephzibah, cheering him on in the stands after Hepshzibah scored a goal. The Corsairs won, 2-1. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

Santa Monica Corsairs' celebrate after forward Philip Hephzibah (9) scored a goal during the men's soccer match against the Los Angeles Mission College Eagles on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. Los Angeles. The Corsairs won, 2-1. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

Santa Monica Corsairs' defender Marcus Hevesy-Rodriguez (21) leaps in the air to head the ball on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. Los Angeles during the men's soccer match against the Los Angeles Mission College Eagles. The Corsairs won, 2-1. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

Santa Monica Corsairs' midfielder Josh McCowan (23) blocking Eagle right striker Justin Martinez (19) on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. Los Angeles during the men's soccer match against the Los Angeles Mission College Eagles. The Corsairs won, 2-1. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

Men's soccer coach Aaron Benditson on the sidelines on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. Los Angeles during the men's soccer match against the Los Angeles Mission College Eagles. The Corsairs won, 2-1. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

Santa Monica Corsairs' forward Jason Moreno (12) with Eagle right striker Justin Martinez (19) on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. Los Angeles during the men's soccer match against the Los Angeles Mission College Eagles. The Corsairs won, 2-1. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

Santa Monica Corsairs' forward Philip Hephzibah (9) with Eagle defender Brandon Navarrete (center) and Corsair midfielder Logan Marc (25) on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. Los Angeles during the men's soccer match against the Los Angeles Mission College Eagles. The Corsairs won, 2-1. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

SMC men’s soccer wins against LA Mission.

On Friday afternoon, the Corsairs men’s soccer team played against the Los Angeles Mission College Eagles at Corsair Field. They beat the Eagles with a 2-1 victory.

According to Assistant Coach Keola Paredes, a key factor in the Corsairs’ success is their resilience. Despite conceding a goal, he said, “we stuck out the last ten minutes of the game very well, defended strong, didn’t allow them to get another goal past us, and we came away with a really good result.”

Phillip Hephzibah led off the second half with a goal, drawing applause from the stands and giving the Corsairs the momentum to finish the game strong. 

Paredes said, “It’s just one more step of the way from our objective of winning the conference. We’re really proud of our team yesterday.” The team is 2-0 so far in conference play, with six of their remaining eight games against conference opponents. 

Their next game is away on Tuesday, Oct. 17, against the Oxnard College Condors at 4:00 p.m.