COD Men’s Soccer explodes for 11 goals in first win of the season
The College of the Desert Men’s Soccer team (1-5-2) finally broke through in emphatic fashion, unleashing a season’s worth of frustration in an 11-1 rout over the Imperial Valley Desert Warriors (2-5) at Xavier College Preparatory in Palm Desert.
The College of the Desert Men's Soccer team (1-5-2) finally broke through in emphatic fashion, unleashing a season's worth of frustration in an 11-1 rout over the Imperial Valley Desert Warriors (2-5) at Xavier College Preparatory in Palm Desert. The 10-goal margin marks one of the most lopsided victories in recent program history.
The Roadrunners extended their dominance over the Desert Warriors, notching their 10th straight win in the series, stretching back a full decade. Desert now holds a 23-3-1 home record and a 34-12-3 overall mark against Imperial Valley.
Sophomore goalkeeper Angel Ayon-Melendez (Indio Shadow Hills) was sharp in net, facing 11 shots and recording 5 saves. From the opening whistle, the Roadrunners' attack was relentless.
* 6th minute: Sophomore midfielder Gerardo Montellano (Indio H.S.) opened the scoring on an assist from Destry Lanza (Beaumont H.S.). Lanza went on to record five assists, bringing his season total to seven and cementing his place as the team's leader in that category.
* 15th minute: Sophomore forward Isai Gil (Beaumont H.S.) netted the first of his two goals.
* 30th minute: Freshman forward Jonathan Price (La Quinta H.S.) tallied his third goal of the year.
* 41st minute: Freshman midfielder Justice Granados (Palm Desert H.S.) struck for his first career goal.
Imperial Valley managed a late first-half goal, but the Roadrunners entered halftime firmly in control, leading 4-1.
The second half belonged to Hector Baltierra (La Quinta H.S.), who put on a scoring clinic. The sophomore midfielder notched a natural hat trick, scoring in the 61st, 66th, and 74th minutes — doubling his season total in less than 15 minutes. His final goal came on an assist from Arturo Silva (Desert Mirage H.S.), extending the advantage to 7-1.
The scoring onslaught continued:
* 77th minute: Defender Christian Rojas Velez (Rancho Mirage H.S.) converted his first of the season, assisted by freshman Sergio Gomez-Bustos (Shadow Hills H.S.).
* Late regulation: Freshman midfielder George Tello (Shadow Hills H.S.) added his second of the year to close out the 11-1 victory.
Up Next:
The Roadrunners hit the road for three straight matches before returning home on Tuesday, October 7 at 6 p.m. to host San Bernardino Valley (5-2-2) in their Inland Empire Athletic Conference opener. That match will mark their final contest at Shadow Hills H.S. in Indio, with all remaining home games moving to Hovley Soccer Park in Palm Desert.
Follow COD Athletics on Twitter @COD_Athletics Instagram @COD_Athletics or Facebook @College of the Desert Athletics
For additional information, please contact the COD Sports Information Office at 760.423.6641.
Information & Story provided by COD Sports Information. Photo by Darbie Catalfamo Photography.