|
The
Cerritos
College
women's
water
polo
team
finished
off
their
magical
year by
defeating
cross-town
rival
Long
Beach
City
College,
11-6 in
the
state
championship
game on
Saturday
afternoon
at
Merced
College,
giving
the
Falcons
their
first
championship
in the
program's
history.
Cerritos
(31-3),
ranked
#2 in
the
state
entering
the
state
championship,
opened
by
defeating
American
River
College
(8-4)
and
defending
state
champion
Riverside
College
(12-11)
on
Thursday
and then
capped
off
their
season
with the
win over
the
Vikings.
Facing
Long
Beach
City for
the
fourth
time
this
season,
the
Falcons
put a
game
plan
together
that
capitalized
on their
team
speed,
combined
with
aggressive
defense.
After a
close
3-2
first
quarter
lead,
Cerritos
outscored
Long
Beach
City 3-1
in the
second
to take
a 6-3
lead
into
halftime.
The
Vikings
tied the
game at
3-3, but
sophomore
Denise
Vega
(Montebello
HS)
scored
with
4:58
left
until
halftime
to give
the
Falcons
a lead
they
would
not
relinquish.
Freshman
Adriana
Rodriguez
(El
Rancho
HS)
scored
with
4:17
left,
while
freshman
Natalie
Peng
(Cerritos
HS)
gave the
team a
6-3 lead
when she
scored
with
3:37
left in
the
half.
Freshman
goalkeeper
Miranda
Bakke
(Gahr
HS),
who was
tremendous
throughout
the
tournament,
turned
LBCC
away
time
after
time,
making
seven
saves,
while
also
recording
three
steals.
Cerritos
came out
in the
second
half and
completely
shut
down
Long
Beach
City,
outscoring
them 4-1
in the
third
quarter,
with
Peng
scoring
twice
and
sophomore
All-American
Stephanie
Rosero
(Downey
HS)
adding a
goal,
giving
the team
a 9-3
advantage.
Rosero,
who
finished
with
three
goals,
scored
again in
the
fourth
quarter,
while
Peng led
the team
with
four
goals.
The 31
wins on
the year
set a
new
school
record,
while
the team
also won
a record
22 games
in a row
during
the
season.
The
state
title by
Cerritos
marks
the
fourth
by the
school
over the
last 11
months,
as the
women's
soccer
team,
women's
track
and
field
team and
softball
team won
championships
last
season.
|
