SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The SBCC women's soccer team set a season-high in goals on Friday night at La Playa Stadium, controlling the game from the outset in a 6-0 thrashing over Oxnard.
Santa Barbara is now 6-5-1 overall and 1-2-1 in the Western State Conference. The Condors fall to 0-5-2 overall, 0-3-2 in league play.
The Vaqueros dominated possession from the earliest minutes, testing the defense with increasing aggression throughout the night.
It took less than six minutes for the home side to take the lead. Defender Hanna Crawford posted up in the box with her back to the goal, sealing off her defender and setting up a first-time shot for midfielder Hannah Mclain on the edge of the 18-yard box. Mclain's well-placed strike beat the Oxnard goalkeeper to the left side of the net, making it 1-0.
In the 20th minute, a loose ball fell to forward Sofia Orozco who found Crawford streaking down the right wing and in behind the back line. Crawford showed great control in receiving the pass before taking a look ahead and firing inside the far post and past the standing goalkeeper, 2-0.
It became 3-0 just 10 minutes later, when Theresa English reeled in a cross from fellow forward Monica Pizano, turned and fired straight on from 25-yards out and had it skim off the keeper's gloves and in.
SBCC had previously scored three goals in a half in only one other match this season, but it would surpass that with some fireworks in the final minutes of the opening 45 minutes. A poor Oxnard back pass in the 44th fell right to English, who showed no hesitation before blasting away from 30 yards out to put the Vaqueros up 4-0.
Less than a minute later, a giveaway in the midfield led to SBCC's fifth goal. Pizano brought it up the center with a ferocious dribble, finding Crawford making a run into the box to her right. Crawford sucked the defense in before passing it right back to Pizano, who went full stretch to send a gorgeous shot across her body and into the far post on first contact.
The Vaqueros tied their season-high in goals with a sixth in the 68th minute. A free kick from deep on the right flank wasn't handled cleanly by the Oxnard keeper, spilling dangerously in the box before defender Julianna Alaniz pounced on it to score from close range.
SBCC also set a new season-best with 26 shots, 18 of which were on target. Next Tuesday, the Vaqueros will play the second of a three-game home stand against Moorpark at 2:00 p.m.
