In just his first season as the Cerritos College women’s soccer co-head coach, Ruben Gonzalez helped lead the Falcons to their best season in school history. He now returns as the head coach and is looking to improve on the team’s record, which established a new standard for most wins in a season. In addition to a solid second place finish in the South Coast Conference, the team won their first-ever post-season game and concluded the year with a 20-4-2 record. They finished the season ranked sixth in Southern California and 19^th nationally. Prior to coming to Cerritos, Gonzalez spent three seasons serving as the head women’s soccer coach at Rio Hondo College and led them to two Foothill Conference championships and a combined 44-11-1 overall record. In addition, his conference record was a remarkable 32-3-1, as the team won their conference championship in his first and third year, while they placed second the other season.

Gonzalez played his college soccer at Cal State University, Los Angeles from 1989-92 under the direction of former World Cup International Mexican National Team player Leonardo Cuellar. In two of his seasons at CSULA, the college played at the Division I level, with the last two being at Division II, while Gonzalez was an All-Conference defender. He then graduated from CSULA with a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education.

Prior to coaching at Cerritos College, Gonzalez was an assistant coach at California State University, Los Angeles in 1993 before being named the head coach at Pius X High in Downey from 1994-95. He then moved on to St. John Bosco High in Bellflower from 1996-2000 as their assistant coach. In 1997, he became the men’s assistant coach helping to begin the first men’s soccer program at Rio Hondo College, which was the inaugural season for the team that went on to the state finals and ended the season ranked ninth in the nation. He remained at Rio Hondo College from 1997-2002 as their assistant coach and helped the team reach the Southern California regional Playoffs every year. While coaching at Rio Hondo College, Gonzalez helped to develop players that went on to play professionally, as well as at Division I and Division II universities. While coaching in college, Gonzalez has been actively coaching club soccer teams which include Whittier Soccer Club, Cerritos United Soccer Club and is currently coaching the San Gabriel Valley Flyers Girls Under 17 and Boys Under 15.

In 2002, Gonzalez became the head women’s soccer coach at Rio Hondo College, and went on to win the Foothill Conference Championship with a 12-0 record and 18-2 overall record guiding the team to the playoffs.  In 2003, Rio Hondo College just missed the playoffs with a 10-2 conference record and a 12-7 overall record. Then, in 2004, Rio Hondo was back in the playoffs with a 10-1-1 Conference record and 14-2-1 overall record.  Gonzalez left Rio Hondo College with an overall record of 44-11-1. In three seasons as a head coach, Gonzalez had one of the highest winning percentages in school history, which included a 32-3-1 conference mark.

For the last four years, Pat Rossi has served as the head coach at Los Alamitos High and is set to begin his first season on the Falcon men’s soccer staff. While coaching at Los Alamitos High, Rossi has led two varsity girls teams and two junior varsity girls teams to the Sunset League championship. Last season, the team went on to win the Division I championship and concluded the year rated #1 in the country by Student Sports Magazine. For his efforts, Rossi was named the Sunset League and CIF Coach of the Year. Rossi has also spent time as the head coach for the Under-14 Girls Cerritos United Soccer Club and for the Under-17 Girls Brea Blaze Club team. 

In his first season working with the Falcon goalkeepers, Gilberto Sandoval comes in with seven years of coaching experience. Prior to joining the Cerritos staff, Sandoval was the goalkeeper coach at Rio Hondo College from 2003-04 after serving as the Bell Gardens High School junior varsity boys (2002-03) and girls (2001) head coach. With the boy’s team, he led them to the league championship and went undefeated, while the girl’s team placed third in league play.

In addition to his school coaching, Sandoval has served as the Bell Gardens Imperio Competition and Club Director since 1999 and also holds an “A” License from the Instituto Brasilero do Futbol and a “B” License from the United State Soccer Federation.

Sandoval also spent 10 days coaching at a training session at the Universidad de Costa Rico, spent two years coaching the Universidad Autondua de Guadalajara Mexican 1st Division Team and 20 days with the Necaxa Futbol Club, a 1st Division team.

While as a midfielder and goalkeeper at Bell Gardens High, Sandoval helped lead his team to three league championships and also sent several years playing semi-pro soccer.

In her first year with the Cerritos College women’s soccer program, Tessa Troglia comes to the team with great credentials as a player. In addition to being a tremendous player at La Serna High, Rio Hondo College and Cal State University, Los Angeles, Troglia played this past season for F.C. Girona, a Division I women’s professional team in Spain. Prior to playing in Spain, Troglia was an assistant coach and team trainer at La Serna High from 2003-05 and helped them advance as far as the CIF quarter-finals each season. In 2004, they reached the CIF championship game. 

While at Cal State Los Angeles, she was an All-California Collegiate Athletic Association Honorable Mention selection as a senior after scoring four goals to go along with a team-high six assists. She was also named their Team Captain and was a teammate of former Falcon Grisell Ramirez both seasons. In her two years with the Eagles, Troglia helped them to their first two winning seasons in school history. 

As a player at La Serna High from 1998-2001, Troglia was named the Whittier Daily News Player of the Year her junior and senior years, while she was a three-time 1^st Team All-League selection. She then moved on to Rio Hondo College, where she was a two-time 1^st Team All-Foothill Conference choice.