Gimenez earns top honor

Alex Gimenez, who guided Golden West College to a 14-1-7 record and a conference championship, has been named Orange Empire Conference Coach of the Year in men’s soccer.

Four Golden West players were first-team all-conference picks, as were two Orange Coast College standouts.

Three Rustlers and two Pirates were second-team selections.

Sophomore Taylor Kane had five goals and nine assists to lead OCC. He was joined on the first team by teammate Marco Pineda, a sophomore midfielder, who had two goals.

Freshman Ivan Pineda had four goals and five assists to earn first-team honors for Golden West, which posted a 9-0-5 conference record and advanced to the second round of the Southern California Regional playoffs.

Sophomore Brian Montano had two goals and four assists to represent Golden West on the first team, while Rustlers defenders Calvin Cruz, a sophomore, and Luis Ramirez, a freshman, were also first-team honorees.

Sophomore forward Anthony Saldana, who had 11 goals and six assists to lead the Rustlers with 28 points, was a second-team choice.

Golden West freshman Erick Gomez had two goals and four assists to make the second team, while Rustlers sophomore defender Sinah Pineda was also a second-team pick.

Defenders Cristian Montillo, a freshman, and Alix Morse, a sophomore, represented OCC on the second team.

OCC finished 6-8-5, 4-6-4 in conference and tied for fourth place in the eight-team conference.

Santa Ana freshman forward Oscar Navarro was named MVP.

— From staff reports