Raiders men’s soccer faced a tough contender when the team hosted the Roadrunners from Rio Hondo College. The Raiders were first to strike with an early goal when Freshman forward Alexis Garcia scored at the ninth minute.

However, the Roadrunners were able to capitalize on two tactical mistakes by the Raiders’ defense and went up by two goals during halftime. Things only got more difficult during the second half when The Roadrunners scored once again on another tactical mistake by the home side.

Head Coach Jake Gwin and his men were persistent and kept their heads up and battled against a fierce opponent, who was dominating the game 1-3. The Raiders got their tactical ideas together to get back in the game.

The momentum finally moved in favor of the home side when Freshman midfielder, Hector Carranza, was subbed in. Shortly after, he struck the ball from outside the box beating the keeper to give his team the life it desperately needed.

Carranza’s goal gave the team the hope they needed after being down the majority of the first half as well as the beginning of the second half. The Raiders pushed forward and kept the pressure on The Roadrunners, giving the away team a dangerous free kick. Freshman forward Javier Sanchez took advantage of the situation and scored a perfectly executed free kick past the goalkeeper, which brought the team back and tied the game.

The game’s real hero came when the Roadrunners were given a controversial penalty late in the game. Freshman goalkeeper, Reece Knupp “Odds were stacked against me in a penalty kick and I got the right side. I was more worried about the second shot,” said Knupp. “Penalties were something we practiced a few weeks ago and I stopped 60 to 75% of them.”

The start of the season has not been the one head coach Jake Gwin was looking forward to, considering the team has a record of five losses, two ties, and only two victories. Regardless of the negative record, Coach Gwin and his men continued to work on their tactical ideas and improving their technical abilities to be able to control and dictate the upcoming games.

“We have been working really hard on chemistry and covering each other as well as staying positive,” said Gwin after the game.

The Raiders next challenge will be away from home when they visit The Vaqueros at Glendale Community College on October 5 at 7:00 p.m. in a game where The Raiders are expected to keep fighting for positive results.