The Vaqueros men's soccer team secured the Western State Conference championship with a 3-1 win over Moorpark College on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Sophomore Angel Diaz opened the scoring by chipping in a shot over the goalkeeper in the 43rd minute. Santa Barbara kept up the pressure after halftime when Junior Rubio scored in the 47th minute with an assist from Mario David Vega. Moorpark charged back with a goal of their own in the 53rd minute. Late in the second half, goalkeeper Miles Keane made a thrilling pair of saves on a shot and a rebound attempt to preserve the Vaqueros lead. Keane finished the game with four saves.
Payton Rogers broke free from his defender in the 95th minute off a feed from Aiden Tapia-Palacios and sealed the victory for Santa Barbara. "It was a great team effort from everyone on and off the field. Our teamwork and dedication [were] what drove us throughout not only this game but the entire season. We're all super happy to be conference champions, but we continue [to] look forward to the games ahead," said Tapia-Palacios.
This marks seven consecutive wins for the Vaqueros and clinches the top seed of the Northern Division. The team is 8-0-1 against conference opponents and 11-5-3 overall. "I'm incredibly proud of this team. They pushed through a tough preseason, found a way to see the light in challenging times, and fought hard to clinch the WSC North championship," said head coach Alex Zermeno. "This group—mostly local 805 players—accomplished something that hasn't been done since 2017."
Zermeno added, "It takes a village, and I am grateful for everyone in it. Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey. Our technical staff—Jaime Alvarado, Adrian Gonzalez, Anthony Jimenez, and Saul Placensia; our strength and conditioning coach, Diego Ramirez; Joe Farias; Sue Houlihan-Davis; and Julianna Adelman, our athletic trainers, athletic program assistants Jeff Santarosa, Jessica Rodgers, and Jackson Weed, administrative assistant Ashley Frias, department chair Kathy O'Connor, and, most importantly, our athletic director, LaDeane Hansten."
Men's soccer finishes the regular season at LA Mission College on Friday, Nov. 15.
