Game Stats

November 22, 2005

Women’s Soccer:
Vikings roll into Round 3 after 5-0 win over San Diego Mesa

The Long Beach City College women’s soccer team advanced to the third round of the 2005 Southern California Regional Playoffs thanks to a 5-0 win over San Diego Mesa College Tuesday afternoon at LBCC.

The No. 4-seed Vikings scored two goals early in the first half and never looked back to eliminate the No. 12 Olympians from the playoffs.

“We knew if we scored early, we would put them away,” said LBCC co-head coach Alex Camargo. “We controlled that game from start to finish. It was one of our best complete games of the season.”

Five different Vikings tallied goals as LBCC outshot San Diego Mesa by a 27-2 margin.

Long Beach’s Stephanie Leotti (Rowland HS) opened up the scoring in the seventh minute (6:33) with a breakaway goal. Freshman forward Shaneka Gordon (Bronx, NY) sent a long pass down the middle to sophomore forward Christina Pauley. Pauley quickly shuffled the ball to Leotti who skipped it past San Diego Mesa goalie Ashley Runyen for the early score.

Moments later, Pauley got in on the scoring with her goal in the 13th minute (12:59). Shaneka Gordon sent a long cross pass from left corner near the end line that Pauley headed in to give LBCC a 2-0 advantage going into halftime.

San Diego Mesa had its best scoring opportunity in the 55th minute. Midfielder Jennifer Hemphill beat an LBCC defender on a one-on-one breakaway. But sophomore defender Sara Werner (North Torrance HS) came out of nowhere to breakup the lone threat of the game.

Shaneka Gordon, freshman defender Shameka Gordon (Bronx, NY), and sophomore forward Brittany Jensen (Kennedy HS) all scored second-half goals to put an exclamation point on the win.

Freshman Sarah Phillips had one save in goal to post her 18th shutout of the season. Runyen had 10 saves for San Diego Mesa (16-5-2).

The win improved Long Beach to 23-1-2 overall this season. The Vikings will hit the road for a playoff game for the first time since 1999. No. 1 Los Angeles Pierce College defeated No. 8 Grossmont College 1-0 and will host Long Beach on December 3 at 2 p.m. in the third-round game.

“These are the games that as coaches and players really motivate you,” Camargo said. “We’re one win away from the Final Four. We have plenty of time to prepare for Pierce. We’ll be ready for them.”

The winner of that contest qualifies for the 2005 California Community Colleges Commission on Athletics Soccer Championships, which takes place December 10-11 in Fresno.