Corsairs Crush: women’s soccer team headed to playoffs after 3-0 victory
The Santa Monica College (SMC) women's soccer team is headed to the playoffs after winning their final game of the regular season on Thursday, Nov. 13, 3-0 against the Antelope Valley College (AVC) Marauders.
The Corsairs' win capped off an impressive second half of the regular season; over their last eight games, they won seven and tied one.
Although offensive gains and constant aggression defined the Corsairs' victory, the game started slowly, with neither team seeming to gain an advantage over the other. That changed when sophomore midfielder Lyric Gomez-Muniz broke away with the ball and ran it downfield to score the first goal.
In quick succession, Gomez-Muniz scored another goal on a penalty kick just a few plays after her first. The rest of the first half was characterized by an offense that was hungry for any shot on net they could get, with another two more attempts that missed before the half was over.
The Marauders tried to reciprocate the aggression by keeping the ball on the Corsairs' side of the field for the remaining minutes of the first half, but couldn’t come together for a goal even with the help of a penalty kick that nearly made it in.
The second half kicked off with a bang, as sophomore forward Erica Bautista extended the Corsairs' lead with a goal in the opening minutes. The rest of the second half consisted of back-and-forth play, with possession shifting between both sides. Still, the Corsairs controlled the pace of the game, only needing to play serious defense occasionally before they would drive the ball downfield again.
Corsairs coach Aaron Benitson had nothing but praise for his team, saying of their drive to improve after their devastating losing streak, “Honestly, I think, like, this was one of the most satisfying teams I've ever coached, because… they started from a place that wasn't great. And they just wanted to just get better.”
However, momentum finally swung in the Corsairs’ favor in a stunning second half to the season. They closed out their last eight games on a victorious run, winning all but one game, starting with their streak-breaking victory over Bakersfield on Oct. 21.
Team captain Alyssa Bagdasaryan said on turning the season around, “We just kind of let everything from the first half of the season go and then take in, like, taking the opportunity of having a fresh start in.”
The Corsairs will start their postseason on Wednesday, Nov. 19. For more information regarding SMC’s soccer games and athletics, visit SMC’s athletics website.