On Saturday, Nov. 19, the no. 8 seeded Santa Monica College (SMC) men’s soccer team played against the No. 9 seeded Norco College Mustangs, ultimately winning 1-0. This was the second round of the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Southern California Regional playoffs, with the third round being against the No. 1 seeded Cerritos College on Nov 22.
The first half kicked off strong for the Corsairs as they kept the ball on the Mustangs side of the field for the majority of the half. They had multiple runs towards the goal and a few shots on target, but none would prove successful until the 20 minute mark of the game. A foul just a few yards out from the box set up an ideal freekick for the Corsairs.
Captain and midfielder Taj Winnard stepped up to take the freekick. After analyzing the goalies position and practicing a freekick from that spot countless times in practice, Winnard took the shot and put it in the back of the net, putting the Corsairs up 1-0. They continued the first half pushing towards goal, but were unsuccessful.
The Corsairs were more on the defensive side of the game during the second half as the Mustangs came out strong, keeping possession on the Corsairs side of the field for the majority of the half. Goalie Cesar Gomez was extremely active, blocking every shot that came his way. The Corsairs had some breakaways towards the Mustangs net, but were unable to get a second goal to ease the pressure. They successfully held off the Mustangs and closed at the game with the lone goal from Winnard being the deciding factor.
The playoff win for the Corsairs adds to their winning streak as they finished the final week of the regular season with two wins. The first was the final regular season home game on Tuesday, Nov 8, in which they won 7-1 against Allan Hancock College. Their final regular season game was a win on Friday, Nov 11, where they defeated Moorpark College with a score of 2-1.
Winnard and Head Coach Tim Pierce reflected postgame on the win. Both discussed the difference in each half and how it could’ve been played differently to not be so close, but were overall happy with the win. Following the slim win against Norco, the Corsairs now divert their attention to the upcoming game against Cerritos College.
“I thought we actually came out really, really well in the first half. Second half, Norco came out with a game plan and made it hard for us,” Pierce said.
From a player standpoint, the game was going to be difficult as it is the playoffs.
“Since it’s a playoff game, it’s always going to be high intensity. Honestly I think one thing we could have done better in the second half was a little less frantic,” Winnard said.
Despite the challenges posed, the Corsairs are still optimistic about their next game.
“Cerritos is the number one team in the nation right now. We gotta be on our A game,” Winnard said. “They may be the number one team, but I think we have a really good chance.”
“We’ve watched them play. We have a game plan formulated,” Pierce said.
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