Moorpark College played aggressively for most of the game, but lost the return leg of its Western State Conference fixture against Santa Monica College, 2-0, in the early afternoon sun at the Raiders Pitch on Friday.
As he has done countless times this season, goalkeeper Daniel Moreno’s consistent defense kept the Raiders in the game. Moreno had little reaction time when a close range shot ricocheted off Moorpark defender George Blankley’s hip for an own goal in the 36th minute.
“In the first half, it was only an error that allowed them to be a goal ahead,” Head Coach Sean Roach said. “It was just one of those things. We did an exceptionally good job of overcoming the prior experience with [Santa Monica], and then staying on the game plan.”
The Corsairs well organized defense constantly supplied its offensive line and stretched the Raiders in the early going. Moreno made two saves in quick succession in the eighth minute. The first when he tipped a shot over the bar to safety and the second when he stopped a bullet at point-blank range from Santa Monica midfielder Danny Hulbert.
“We didn’t play a bad game [considering] we lost 7-0 the last time we played them,” freshman midfielder Sam Curren said. “We’re getting a lot better, but we’re running out of time to improve.”
Felipe Luz produced the offensive spark for Moorpark with a shot on goal in the 17th minute and was just wide of the right post with a ground shot from distance in the 25th. He broke through the Corsairs defense in the 34th minute, but his weak finish was easily saved by goalkeeper Weston Adkins.
Freshman Stuart Sloan, a tall, strong, dangerous midfielder from Cumnock, Scotland, was dominant in attack. Unfortunately for Moorpark, he plays for the Corsairs, and was credited with the shot that led to the first goal. But there was no doubt about his second, a bullet into the bottom right-hand corner late in the game that sealed Moorpark’s fate.
“Santa Monica is real athletic and physical and one of the top teams in our league,” sophomore winger Orencio Robles said. “Our defense held up strongly against attacks down the middle today. That’s been our weak point. We worked on it this week and it showed in the game.”
Midway through the second half, Moreno came to Moorpark’s rescue repeatedly with several key stops, most notably using his height to tip Sloane’s overhead shot over the bar in the 74th minute.
“We had many chances to score and we just didn’t put [them] away,” sophomore winger Alvaro Zambrano said, bemoaning Moorpark’s lost opportunities. “They’re a tough team. They put their chances away and we didn’t.”
Hoping for a reversal of fortune in the last home game of the season, Moorpark takes on College of the Canyons in the return leg of its WSC fixture at the Raiders Pitch on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
How time flies!
