STATE CHAMPIONS

03.25.09 - Cerritos announces the signing of eight players
The Cerritos College men's soccer coaching staff has announced that seven players from their 2008 State Championship team have signed letters of intent, with three of them going to Division I programs. Heading the list of signees are All-Americans Jonathan Rivas (Santa Fe HS) and Alex Munoz (Corona Centennial HS), who have committed to UC Irvine. The two will be joining a program that was the highest-ranked Division I program in California and advanced to the Sweet 16 this past season. Defender Norm Mariscal (Corona Centennial HS), a 1st Team All-South Coast Conference selection along with Rivas and Munoz, signed with UC Riverside, also a Division 1 program...[more]

12.22.08 - Falcons sweep conference awards
Not only did the Cerritos College men's soccer team win their second state championship in the last three years, they also won the South Coast Conference title for the first time in three seasons. With that, the Falcons ended up sweeping the conference awards, as head coach Benny Artiaga was selected the Coach of the Year for the second time in his four-year career. Freshman Luis Gonzalez (Long Beach Millikan HS), who scored all three goals for Cerritos in the state tournament was named the tournament's Player of the Year, and voted the conference's Offensive Player of the Year, while sophomore defender Jonathan Rivas (Santa Fe HS) was named the Defensive Player of the Year...[more]

12.16.08 - Benny Artiaga named Far West Region Coach of the Year
After leading his team to their second state championship in three years, Cerritos College men's soccer coach Benny Artiaga was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III (non-scholarship) Far West Region Coach of the Year. Back in 2006, when Artiaga led the Falcons to their first-ever state title, he was named both the Far West Region and National Coach of the Year. The four regional coaches of the year are eligible for national coach of the year, which will be selected on January 16, 2009...[more]

12.16.08 - Women named national champs; Men finish #2
It's official! The Cerritos College women's soccer team, fresh off their second straight state championship, were named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III (non-scholarship) national champions in the latest poll that came out on Tuesday. The Falcons, who finished second in the country last year, capped off their unbeaten season (22-0-4) with a 4-2 overtime win over Santa Rosa College on December 7 at College of the Canyons...[more]

12.07.08 - Early goal holds up as Cerritos wins state title
"Playng Mt. San Antonio as many times as we did during the season made us a better team and prepared us for this game today," said Cerritos College men's soccer coach Benny Artiaga just minutes after his team posted a 1-0 win to capture the CCCAA State Championship on Sunday at College of the Canyons. It was the second title in three years for the Falcons, who won their first state championship in 2006. "They are a class program at Mt. San Antonio and I have the greatest amount of respect for (head coach) Juan Sanchez."...[more]

12.05.08 - Overtime win sends Falcons to championship game
Cerritos College freshman forward Luis Gonzalez (Long Beach Millikan HS) scored both goals to lead the Falcon men's soccer team to a 2-1 overtime victory over Santa Rosa College in the semi-finals of the CCCAA Soccer State Championships on Friday morning at College of the Canyons. The win sends the Falcons (21-4-1) into the state championship game on Sunday at 10:00 a.m., where they will play South Coast Conference rival Mt. San Antonio College. The meeting will be the fourth this season with Cerritos winning all three of the previous contests.

"We just beat a premiere league team today," said head coach Benny Artiaga, who led Cerritos to their lone state title in 2006. "The game basically came down to the special play of Luis and the tremendous goalkeeping of Diego Millan. Diego is playing his best ball of the year and came up with two unbelievable saves that gave us a chance to win."..[more]

11.29.08 - Pairings & times set for state soccer championships
With home wins on Saturday afternoon, both the Cerritos College men's and women's soccer teams have advanced to the CCCAA State Championships, which will be held next Friday and Sunday at College of the Canyons in Valencia. The Falcon men's team (20-4-1) defeated Pasadena City College, 5-2 on Saturday and are the #2-seeded team from Southern California, while the women's team (20-0-4), ranked #1, defeated Mt. San Antonio, 3-0 in overtime. This year marks the first time both teams have advanced in the same season...[more]

11.29.08 - Cerritos advances to state with 5-2 win
In 2004, the Cerritos College men's soccer team advanced to the state championship game. In 2006, they won their first state title in school history. Faced with a chance to advance in 2008 with a win over Pasadena City College on Saturday afternoon, the Falcons turned in a tremendous offensive performance, defeating the Lancers, 5-2 in the third round of the Southern California Regional Playoffs, and will now move on to the state tournament, which will be played next Friday and Sunday at College of the Canyons.

"This was a game in which we wanted to show that our players can take a personal challenge and execute it in order to show that this college has a tremendous men's and women's soccer program," said head coach Benny Artiaga, referring to the women's program that won the title last year and also advanced to the state tournament this year. "This win was tremendous and is a credit to our team and their willingness to come back and play better now than they have all season. Sure we would have liked to have finished with a shutout, but this really adds validation to everything they have gone through this season."..[more]

11.25.08 - Soccer teams find out third round opponents
After wins in the second round of the Southern California Regional Playoffs on Tuesday, both the men's and women's soccer teams will be hosting their opponents on Saturday and found out who they are to face with a trip to the state championships on the line. In both games, the Falcons will be facing South Coast Conference opponents. The men, seeded #2, will host #3-seeded Pasadena City College at 2:00 p.m., while the top-ranked women's team will square off against 5th-seeded Mt. San Antonio at 11:00 a.m...[more]

11.25.08 - Despite layoff, Falcons beat Riverside, 1-0
It had been 11 days since the Cerritos College men's soccer team played their last game, and heading into their 2nd Round Southern California Regional Playoff game at home on Tuesday against Riverside College, the concern was the players showing rust early on. The Falcons, seeded #2 in the playoffs, showed the ability to create offensive opportunities, but missed out on numerous scoring chances in the game against the Tigers. However, the defense was sharp and the team registered a 1-0 win to advance to the third round. Cerritos (19-4-1), seeded #2 in the playoffs, will now host the winner of the Pasadena City-Los Angeles Harbor game at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.

"We did what we had to do in order to win the game, but we missed on six breakaways," said head coach Benny Artiaga. "Usually when a team misses that many chances, they are the ones who are going home. Fortunately, with our defense-first mentality, we were able to shut them down. We held (national player) Dorian Farias without a shot the entire game, which is a credit to our defense. It was an ugly game, but we'll take it."..[more]

11.18.08 - Cerritos receives first round bye
Even though the Cerritos College men's soccer team defeated South Coast Conference rival Mt. San Antonio College all three times they faced each other, the Falcons were still seeded #2 Behind the Mounties when the seedings were announced for the Southern California Regional Playoffs. With 13 teams making the playoffs, the top three seeded teams receive a bye and won't play until next Tuesday. Cerritos (18-4-1) clinched the conference championship on the last day of the regular season when they defeated Long Beach City College and Pasadena City College lost to Los Angeles Harbor College. With that loss, Mt. SAC moved into second place in the conference. The Falcons won both games this season against Mt. San Antonio and defeated the Mounties in the championship game of their own tournament at the beginning of the season...[more]

11.14.08 - Combination gives Falcons conference championship
On the strength of their convincing 4-0 win at home against Long Beach City College on Friday afternoon and Pasadena City College losing 2-0 to Los Angeles Harbor College, the Cerritos College men's soccer team locked up sole possession of first place in the South Coast Conference championship. The Falcons, who came in second place the last two years, finished the regular season with a 10-3-1 record in the SCC for 31 points, while Pasadena City College dropped to  third place with the loss and Mt. San Antonio College moving up into second place. Cerritos is also 18-4-1 on the year and will open the Southern California Regional Playoffs at home next Saturday against an opponent to be determined after the seeding meeting on Tuesday.

    The Falcons held off an early offensive attack by the Vikings, as sophomore goalkeeper Diego Millan (Paramount HS) stopped a close-range shot by Manuel Bautista. He also turned away Juan Guzman, whose header was stopped by a diving Millan, who would go on to make seven saves in the win...[more]

11.11.08 - Thrilling win gets team closer to title
With the feel of a state championship game all around them, the Cerritos College men's soccer team had a flair for the dramatic, as they fought back from a 3-1 deficit to record a 5-4 South Coast Conference win at Mt. San Antonio College in front of an estimated 500 fans. The win catapults the Falcons into a first place tie in conference play with Pasadena City College, who are both 9-3-1 for 28 points, while the Mounties dropped into third place with 26 points. Cerritos will close out the regular season at home at 3:00 p.m. against fourth place Long Beach City College, while PCC will face Los Angeles Harbor College. On top of defeating Mt. SAC for the third time this season, the victory moves the Falcons into second place in the power rankings in Southern California, which would give them home field advantage as long as they remain alive in the playoffs...[more]

11.07.08 - Win by Falcons puts them in tie for first
The Cerritos College men's soccer team scored two first half goals and used a tight defense in the second half to post a 2-0 South Coast Conference shutout victory over Pasadena City College on Friday afternoon. With the win, the Falcons moved into a first place tie with the Lancers with 25 points (8-3-1), while the Lancers are also 8-3-1. Cerritos (16-4-1 overall) will have their second of three tests next Tuesday when they travel to Mt. San Antonio College for a 6:00 p.m. game. Entering action on Friday, the Mounties were in third place with 23 points, while Long Beach City College was in fourth place with 20 points. Cerritos closes out their regular season at home next Friday against the Vikings.

In the win over the Lancers, the Falcons got on the board in the seventh minute when freshman forward Luis Gonzalez (Long Beach Millikan HS) scored on a penalty kick. The play was set up after sophomore forward Michael Paz (California HS) was pulled down in the box. Gonzalez scored his team-leading 15th goal against Lancer goalkeeper Jorge Sainz, who kept his team in the game with some outstanding saves...[more]

11.04.08 - Cerritos rebounds from loss for shutout win
From the outset of their South Coast Conference game at El Camino College on Tuesday, the Cerritos College men's soccer team emphasized that defense was what was going to lead them to victory. After holding the Warriors to just one shot on goal, while their defense helped create their offense, the Falcons came away with a 4-0 victory. The win improved the team's record to 15-4-1 overall while they are now 7-3-1 in conference action. The team returns home on Friday at 3:00 p.m. to host Pasadena City College...[more]

10.28.08 - Win moves Falcons into 2nd place
On the strength of their 4-0 South Coast Conference home win over East Los Angeles College on Tuesday, and Pasadena City College posting a 1-0 win over Long Beach City College, the Cerritos College men's soccer team has moved into second place in the South Coast Conference. The Falcons, who are now 6-2-1 in the SCC (14-3-1 overall) have 19 points and are tied with Mt. San Antonio College, while Pasadena City leads with 21 points and a 7-2-0 mark. Long Beach City, who entered the day with 17 points, drops to third and is 5-2-2 in conference play. Cerritos will now travel to fifth place Los Angeles Harbor College for a 6:00 p.m. game on Friday.

In the win over East LA, the Falcons were scoreless at intermission, but had numerous scoring chances in the first half. Both freshman Timmy Seo (Los Alamitos HS) and sophomore Gerardo Macias (Artesia HS) were turned away on point blank shots by Huskie goalkeeper Sergio Molina, while sophomore Rickey Reyes (Hawthorne HS/Pasadena City College) hit the goalpost in the 44th minute...[more]

10.24.08 - Falcons hold off pesky Compton
After taking a 2-0 lead early in the second half against Compton College in a South Coast Conference game on Friday afternoon, the Cerritos College men's soccer team found themselves deadlocked at 2-2. But sophomore midfielder Alex Munoz (Corona Centennial HS) scored the game-winning goal in the 84th minute to secure the win for the Falcons. With the win, the team improved to 13-3-1 overall and 5-2-1 in SCC play, while the Tartars fell to 6-8-4 overall and 2-5-1 in the SCC. Cerritos will now host East Los Angeles at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday...[more]

10.21.08 - Team upset for second time in three games
Just 10 days earlier, the Cerritos College men's soccer team was upset, 3-1 by Pasadena City College in a South Coast Conference game. After a thrilling win over nationally-ranked Mt. San Antonio College, the Falcons, ranked #3 nationally, were upset again, this time 1-0 by Long Beach City College on Tuesday. With the loss, Cerritos is now 12-3-1 overall and 4-2-1 in SCC play. They will look to right the ship on Friday when they travel to Compton College for a 4:00 p.m. match...[more]

10.17.08 - Cerritos bounces back for critical win
Just three days removed from being upset by Pasadena City College, 3-1, the Cerritos College men's soccer team posted a 2-1 home win over rival Mt. San Antonio College in a critical South Coast Conference game on Friday. The Falcons, who were ranked as high as #2 in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (Division III), recorded their second win of the year over the Mounties, who were ranked #1 in the country.

"This game showed exactly what this team is made of," said head coach Benny Artiaga. "We knew we needed to come back after the loss to Pasadena City and the boys really showed the kind of character they have. This game is not only a rivalry game and an important conference game, but it has national implications and it gives us the inside track on getting the best recruits."..[more]

10.14.08 - Falcons upset by Pasadena City
Quite possibly looking ahead to their much-anticipated game against rival Mt. San Antonio College on Friday at 4:00 p.m., the Cerritos College men's soccer team was defeated on Tuesday, 3-1 by Pasadena City College. The Falcons, ranked #2 in the country, are the second highly-ranked team the Lancers have beaten. Earlier in the season, PCC posted a win over top-ranked Mt. SAC, while the loss also snapped the team's nine-game unbeaten streak...[more]

10.10.08 - Cerritos keeps streak alive
On the strength of their 2-0 South Coast Conference win over El Camino College on Friday afternoon, the Cerritos College men's soccer team improved their unbeaten streak to nine games (8-0-1), and are now 11-1-1 on the season and 3-0-1 in SCC action. Ranked #2 in the country by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III (non-scholarship), the Falcons will now travel to Pasadena City College for a 3:00 p.m. game on Wednesday before their biggest game of the season on Friday. Cerritos will host #1-ranked Mt. San Antonio College at 4:00 p.m. and already have a win this season against the Mounties in the championship game of the Mt. San Antonio Tournament.

In the win over the Warriors, freshman forward Luis Gonzalez (Long Beach Millikan HS) gave Cerritos a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute with an assists from freshman midfielder Oscar Rodriguez (Long Beach Wilson HS). Playing a strong defensive game, the Falcons were able to turn away El Camino, with freshman goalkeeper Pedro Velasquez (Colegio-Metropolitano, Guatemala) turning away five shots and recorded his second shutout of the season...[more]

10.07.08 - Shutout keeps team unbeaten in SCC play
After a game in which the Cerritos College men's soccer team failed to get on the board in a 0-0 tie with East Los Angeles College, the Falcons exploded for five goals in a 5-0 South Coast Conference win at home over Los Angeles Harbor College on Tuesday afternoon. The win improved the team's record to 10-1-1 overall and 2-0-1 in SCC play. Cerritos will now host El Camino College at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.

Clinging to a tight 1-0 lead at halftime, thanks to a Jonathan Rivas (Santa Fe HS) goal on a header off a pass from sophomore Alex Munoz (Corona Centennial HS) in the 25th minute, the Falcons broke the game open in the second half...[more]

09.23.08 - Falcons run winning streak to five
Through the first nine games of the year, the Cerritos College men's soccer team has won eight of them, with the most recent being a 6-0 non-conference victory at Orange Coast College on Tuesday afternoon. The Falcons, 8-1-0 on the year, will now open South Coast Conference action next Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. when they host Compton College...[more]

09.19.08 - Cerritos registers 6-3 win over Golden West
The Cerritos College men's soccer team has shown their ability to score goals in bunches this season. But they've also been susceptible to allowing their share of goals. In their 6-3 non-conference home win on Friday, the Falcons (7-1-0) held a 4-1 lead in the second half before the Rustlers countered with a pair of goals to close the gap. But sophomore Alex Munoz (Corona Centennial HS) and freshman Salvador Melendrez (Long Beach Millikan HS) teamed up twice, with Munoz scoring in the 76th and 84th minutes to put the game out of reach.

09.06.08 - Victory over rival Mt. SAC wins tournament
The Cerritos College men's soccer team finished off a successful Mt. San Antonio Tournament on Saturday by posting a 2-1 win over their rivals and host. The Falcons, who were competing in the tournament for the first time, defeated Palomar College (7-0) and Santiago Canyon College (2-1) to reach the championship game. Cerritos (6-1-0) will now get a two-week break before their next game when they host Golden West College at 4:00 p.m. on September 19...[more]

09.04.08 - Falcons record shutout at tournament
Competing in the Mt. San Antonio Tournament for the first time, Cerritos College men's soccer team opened up in a strong way by registering a 6-0 win over Palomar College on Thursday. With the win, the Falcons (4-1-0) will now face Santiago Canyon College on Friday at 5:00 p.m., with the winner advancing to the championship game on Saturday...[more]

08.27.08 - Cerritos opens season with 7-0 win
If their performance in their season-opening game for the Cerritos College men's soccer team is any indication of how they will play this season, they could be considered when other schools talk about state contenders. The Falcons, who won the state championship in 2006, opened with a 7-0 non-conference win over San Bernardino Valley College on Wednesday. The game was the first official contest on the school's new soccer facility.

Making the most of his scoring opportunities was returning All-American forward Michael Paz (California HS) who scored four goals and had chance at a fifth, but his penalty kick in the 88th minute was stopped. Paz scored the game's first two goals, in the eighth and 15th minutes, while he finished out his scoring in the 61st and 79th minutes. On his first two goals, he was assisted by sophomore Alex Munoz (Corona Centennial HS), while Munoz got on the scoreboard in the 31st minute with his first of the season...[more]

02.05.08 - Falcons earn post-season honors
After finishing the season 18-4-4 and earning the #2 seed in the Southern California Regional Playoffs, the Cerritos College men’s soccer team concluded the 2007 season ranked #6 in the country by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America NSCAA/adidas poll. The team was just one win away from advancing to the state tournament in an attempt to defend their state title from the 2006 season...[more]