The Los Medanos College Women’s Soccer Team returned to action against Cañada College with a 2-1 win on Friday, Sept. 13. The Mustangs returned to their winning ways after a late 2-1 loss to Las Positas College on Wednesday night.

The action began in the 13th minute when Eryn Wheatley took a corner kick for the Mustangs. The corner kick led to a scramble in the 18-yard box which deflected the ball to Mariah Minhares.

Minhares shot the ball into the top of the goal, giving the Mustangs the lead.

“It gives me more motivation for the next game, and it feels good because it’s my first goal [of the season],” said Minhares. 

The Mustangs applied a lot of offensive pressure to the Colts with a series of chances in the minutes following the goal. In the 18th minute, Minhares played a ball down the middle of the field through the Colts’ defense to Marianna Giovanetti, but Giovanetti’s effort was denied by the Colts.

Perhaps the most memorable moment of the match was during a water break in the first half of the match when the opposition’s coach expressed herself in frustration. “I don’t care if you’re tired, if you’re hot, if you’re hurt, turn it up right now,” she said to her team who was trailing the Mustangs while playing in 91 degree weather.

In the 39th minute, goalkeeper Alissa Caburnay was forced to make a save after a Cañada College freekick. The Mustangs attempted a counter-attack after Caburnay’s save. The counter-attack led to a Mustang corner kick, but Anissa Gomez’s header was stopped by the Colts’ goalkeeper. In the final minute of the first half, Caburnay ran out of her box to clear the ball away from a rushing Colts player after the ball slipped through the LMC defense.

In the 54th minute, Caburnay gave up a penalty kick after committing a foul inside the penalty area. The penalty attempt was kicked out of bounds, but Cabrunay dove to the correct side in which the ball was kicked, “I [was] a bit nervous, but I use my adrenaline to dive,” she said.

In the 76th minute, Gomez had the opportunity to extend LMC’s lead by two after a solo run down the left side of the field, but the opportunity was denied by the Colts.

Sarah Figueroa scored her second goal of the season in the 80th minute, giving LMC a 2-0 lead. Jocelyn Guitierrez played the ball through to Sarah Figueroa in the defensive half of the field. Figueroa then dribbled upfield with the ball and passed to Nayeli Carbajal. Carbajal connected the pass back to Figueroa, who was able to slot the ball passed the lower right side goalkeeper. “It was nice to get a cushion [lead],” said Figueroa. 

The Colts scored in the 85th minute after the Mustangs gave up a free kick. The goal was scored from 25 yards out of Caburnay’s goal directly from where the free kick was called.

The Mustangs held onto the 2-1 lead during the final minutes of the match.

“They did well. I think it was good for us because it teaches you that you have to finish a game [strong] because no lead is safe,” said head coach Zach Sullivan.