Rio Hondo found the net in the 88th minute of Thursday's season-opening women's soccer match, earning a 1-1 tie with SBCC at the Ventura Showcase. It was the second straight year that the Vaqueros opened with a 1-1 tie at the Ventura College tournament.
SBCC, last year's State runner-up, is 28-3-2 in its last 33 games and 19-0-2 in the last 21 regular-season contests. After last year's season-opening tie, the Vaqueros reeled off a school-record 21 straight wins to reach the State title game.
Matilda Cassel Ledin, a sophomore midfielder from Sweden, gave the Vaqueros a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute. Riley Moore dribbled down the right side and crossed it to Ledin, who converted from 10 yards out.
"It was disappointing not to win after being ahead for such a long time," said 14th-year head coach John Sisterson. "They had played a couple of scrimmages and this was our first game. Overall, we competed very well."
Isabella Viana, last year's top scorer with 19 goals and 43 points, had a good strike in the 80th minute but the Roadrunner goalie made the save and the ball caromed off the post.
Sisterson praised the play of Viana, Moore, Mila Ladek, Lourdes Marin-Rodriguez and substitute Ashley Herm. Defenders Samantha Rhoads and Olivia Berntsson both went down with injuries and Sisterson said they might be out for a while.
"It's disappointing to possibly lose two more players after we lost two starters to injury in training camp," he noted.
The Vaqueros return to action on Saturday in the Ventura Showcase, taking on Sierra at 11 a.m.
