Riverside grabbed an early 4-1 lead and then wore SBCC down in a 12-7 So Cal Regional semifinal win. The third-ranked Vaqueros returned to the Riverside pool on Saturday evening and beat No. 5 Citrus 10-5 to take third in the Regional.
The Vaqueros (30-5) reached 30 wins for the fourth straight year. In the Riverside game, they hit the post or crossbar six times.
Taylor Brooks, a sophomore from Honolulu, had three goals and four drawn ejections in the semifinal. Brooks poured in five more goals in the third-place game and finished as the state leader and new school record holder with 134 goals.
Hana Wigzell, a sophomore from Sandy, Ore., had two goals, two assists and three steals vs. Riverside. The Vaqueros trailed 7-5 at halftime, then got outscored 5-2 in the second half.
Brooks racked up five goals, two assists, three steals and five drawn ejections vs. WSC rival Citrus, whom the Vaqueros beat for the third time this year.
Madison Wayman had two goals in the third-place game and Zoe Johnson recorded 10 saves after stopping nine shots in the Riverside match. Johnson (26-5) set school records for saves (234) and save average (7.3 per game).
SBCC took a 4-2 halftime lead on a goal by Wayman, then outscored the Owls 4-0 in the third period to build an 8-2 advantage.
"I was very proud of the way we played this weekend," said coach Chuckie Roth. "Riverside had a great game plan. We showed a lot of heart by coming back to win the third-place game. It was a great season with a lot of great success for a very young team."
