Ronquillo sparks Pirates, 5-1

COSTA MESA -- Freshman forward Sarah Ronquillo scored two goals,

the second kicking off a four-goal, second-half barrage to boost the

No. 3-seeded Orange Coast College Pirates to a 5-1 victory over

14th-seeded Glendale Tuesday afternoon in the first round of the 2002

Southern California Regional Playoffs.

The effects of not playing a game in two weeks showed early on for

the Bucs as the visiting Vaqueros took the game to them and had the

better chances through the first 30 minutes.

But a minute later Ronquillo was rewarded for some early hard work

with her first goal.

Freshman midfielder Vanessa Rocha floated a ball over the Glendale

defense that Ronquillo chased down.

Glendale netminder Roxana Morales came out to try and cut the

angle, but Ronquillo keenly slipped the ball past her, then curled a

shot into the far right corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.

The goal did very little to kill the fire the Vaqueros brought to

the game and they equalized the score at one goal apiece in the 35th

minute.

Liliana Leon, who gave the Pirates fits down the right flank from

start to finish, sen the ball toward the goal. The pass took a

deflection and landed right at the feet of Karla Hernandez, who fired

form 10 yards into the left corner.

“We played the first half like we practiced during the week and we

looked like a team that hasn’t played in two weeks,” said Coach

Barbara Bond. “Hopefully that half is behind us and we’ll come out

real strong Saturday. Sometimes that’s the price you pay for sitting

out the first two weeks.”

Whatever Bond said to the Pirates at halftime seemed to work as it

took less than a minute to regain the lead. Some confusion in the

Glendale defense led to a mishit clearance deep in the Vaqueros’ own

penalty area.

Sophomore forward Jaycee Mahler seized the opportunity, running

and heading the ball toward a vacated goal. The ball did not have the

steam to go in itself, but Ronquillo rushed forward to net her second

goal to give OCC a lead it would not relinquish.

Mahler (in the 67th minute off a Vanessa Rocha assist), Fernanda

Velasco (in the 71st minute off a Lauren Cassity assist) and Laurie

Moore (in the 73rd minute off a Melissa Mangrello assist) finished

Glendale off.

It was Mahler’s 25th goal this season, and Velasco, trying to

regain her form after suffering a mild knee injury, scored the goal

of the day when she converted a bicycle kick from eight yards

directly off a Cassity throw-in.

Moore’s goal was a tap-in after Mangrello, running hard down the

left flank, crossed to her unmarked teammate.

“I saw (Ronquillo) play a couple of times at Costa Mesa High as a

junior and as a senior.

“I knew what we were getting,” said Bond, who has received five

goals from her second forward in the past two games.

“Our trouble the first part of the season was finding a spot for

her. We always thought that she would complement Jaycee well and I

think she’s found her spot and feels comfortable up there.”

The game was played through the midfield most of the 20 minutes at

the outset of the second half before Mahler began a three-goal

stretch for the Pirates, covering six minutes, beginning in the 67th

minute.

Margaret Landeros recorded six saves to warn the win for the

Pirates, who outshot the Vaqueros, 16-7, as Glendale wore down in the

second half.

The Pirates, now 20-1-2, will host the Palomar-Cuyamaca winner on

Saturday at a time to be announced.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

Orange Coast 5, Glendale 1

Glendale -- Hernandez 1.

OCC -- Ronquillo 2, Mahler 1, Velasco 1, Moore 1. Saves

-- Landeros 6.

Halftime -- 1-1.