Men’s Soccer: Rustlers rally for stalemate
Coach Alex Gimenez oversees the details of a Golden West College men’s soccer program on the verge of its third Orange Empire Conference title in five seasons.
But there is one on-field occurrence at which he refuses to even glance.
“I haven’t looked at one of my team’s [penalty kicks] in about 15 years now, Gimenez said after his Rustlers matched PKs with visiting Irvine Valley in a 1-1 conference tie.
Gimenez was quickly comforted by the roar from players on his bench after freshman forward Ivan Pineda booted his penalty shot inside the left goalpost to erase the Lasers’ 1-0 lead in the 67th minute.
Pineda drew the penalty kick by being run over by IVC sophomore defender Joseph Ferguson inside the 18-yard box.
With the tie, Golden West (12-0-7, 8-0-5 in conference) retains its one-point lead over the Lasers (13-4-3, 8-2-3), with three points being awarded for a conference win and one point for a tie.
The Rustlers can clinch their third conference crown in three seasons with a victory over visiting Orange Coast on Thursday. Regardless, Gimenez said the Rustlers, who last lost on Nov. 21, 2015, in the regional playoffs, have clinched a berth in the playoffs.
IVC, which is now 4-0-3 since falling, 2-1, to visiting Golden West on Oct. 7, is also assured a postseason berth, as is Orange Empire contender Santa Ana (8-2-4 in conference), which completed its season with a 6-0 win over Cypress on Tuesday to jump ahead of IVC.
Heading into Thursday, when IVC plays host to last-place Norco, Golden West has 29 points, Santa Ana has 28 and IVC has 27.
“We’re in the hunt for a title, so we’ll see what happens on Thursday against OCC,” said Gimenez, whose team edged the Pirates, 1-0, in their first meeting, Oct. 11 at OCC.
Golden West posted a 16-9 shot advantage, as IVC goalkeeper Blake Sigler finished with six saves, three more than Rustlers’ keeper Josue Catarino.
IVC, which opened the scoring when Daniel Segal converted a penalty kick after a Golden West foul in the box in the 19th minute, had the more dangerous chances.
A blast by IVC’s Albert Chavez caromed off the left post late in the first half.
IVC’s Sean Goode, who came in with a team-best 14 goals, drove an open shot from close range high midway through the opening half. Goode also had an open net midway through the second half, but his running header sailed wide.
Also late in the first half, the Lasers’ Jose Gamboa missed wide with the Golden West keeper well off his line.
Gimenez was pleased with his team’s play, which he has come to expect from this group.
“These guys know who they are, which is a hard-working, blue-collar team that is going to work to the final minute,” Gimenez said.
Sophomore forwards Mark Hernandez and Anthony Saldana, as well as freshman midfielder Erick Gomez, were catalysts offensively for the Rustlers, who controlled the early going and had a 10-1 shot advantage before IVC cashed in its PK.
Defensively, the starting back line of Sinah Pineda, Luis Ramirez, Brian Montano and Mauricio Magallon helped the Rustlers remain unbeaten.
Gimenez said he chooses to avert his attention from his team’s penalty kicks, because it is not what he ever wishes to remember about a match.
“I just won’t watch,” said Gimenez, who said in the event of a postseason shootout, he still would not view his team’s penalty attempts. “It’s too much.”
On Tuesday, however, it was just enough for the Rustlers.
