2021 Season Preview - COD Women's Soccer

After a season off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Roadrunners Women's Soccer looks to return to the field with the upcoming 2021 season, returning seven players from the 2019 team, including four All-Inland Empire Athletic Conference (IEAC) selections.

Under fifth-year head coach Garrett Estrin, Desert looks to bring back All-Conference defenders, Marion Angula (Cathedral City H.S.) and Anaya Guerrero (La Quinta H.S.) as well as two Indio Shadow Hills Knights who were named IEAC Honorable Mention in 2019, Jasmine Castillo and Isabel Alvarez. While the team finished 8-9-4 overall and 4th in conference with a 5-5-2 in 2019, prospects continue to look up for the 2021 season.

The Roadrunners will open the season on August 27 at home against the Los Angeles City Cubs at Boone Field under the lights for a 7 p.m. kick off. The Cubs and Roadrunners have never faced one another, as this is the Cubs inaugural season with a Women's Soccer program.

Then on August 31, Desert hosts a team they have not faced since 2005 and a team which they are undefeated against, the Citrus Fighting Owls. The Roadrunners hold a 4-0 all-time record on the Owls since they first played against one another in 1998.

On September 3, the Roadrunners host Imperial Valley, where Desert has a 27-2-1 record all-time against the Arabs and then the Roadrunners travel to Cypress to face the Chargers for the first time in program history.

According to Estrin, Desert Women's Soccer will have 7 players coming back from the 2019 team:

Ashley Murguia (Indio H.S.) - last played for the Roadrunners in 2019. Murguia was an attacking center-mid and was leading scorer from 2019 with 12 goals & 6 assists for 30 points, in 21 games starting 16 of them. She was honored with 1st team All-IEAC in 2019. Coach Estrin commented, "I expect solid leadership from Ash and good field vision."

Marion Angulo (Cathedral City H.S.) - last played for the Roadrunners in 2019. Angulo was a starting center-back playing in all 21 games starting 19 of them, was very solid in the back line and was honored with 1st team All-IEAC. Coach Estrin commented, "Expecting her to be a very solid defender."

Anaya Guerrero (La Quinta H.S.) - last played for the Roadrunners in 2019. Guerrero was another solid back line player who was a very good one versus one defender, where she played in all 21 games starting 20 of them. Guerrero had 7 points on the season from her defensive area with 1 goal and 5 assists (which was tied for 3rd on the team). She was honored by earning 2nd team All-IEAC. Coach Estrin commented, "I anticipate an even better season in 2021, than what she did for us in 2019."

Jasmine Castillo (Indio Shadow Hills) - last played for the Roadrunners in 2019. Castillo was mostly used as a striker and wing player, starting 13 games, putting away 10 goals and 4 assists in 21 games played overall, which was good for 2nd on the team in scoring with 24 points. She set a Desert single game scoring record by netting a double hat trick 6 goals in one game on October 8, 2019, earning her IEAC Honorable Mention. Coach Estrin commented, "Castillo had many scoring opportunities in 2019, so I am looking for her to be more opportunistic in 2021."

Isabel Alvarez (Indio Shadow Hills) - last played for the Roadrunners in 2019. Alvarez played mostly as an outside mid player, with some time spent in the center of the field as an attacking center-mid. She scored 8 goals and 3 assists good for 3rd on the team with 19 points, earning her an IEAC Honorable Mention. Coach Estrin commented, "Looking for Alvarez to be even better in 2021."

Denise Hernandez (Palm Springs H.S.) - last played for the Roadrunners in 2019. Hernandez played mostly in the center mid and as a striker, starting in 9 games playing in all 21 games netting 3 goals. Coach Estrin commented, "Hernandez will provide valuable minutes given her 1 season of experience in the program."

Mariela Orozco (Desert Hot Springs H.S.) - last played for the Roadrunners in 2019. Orozco played all over the field for the Roadrunners. Coach Estrin commented, "She is very versatile as a marking back, outside mid, and spent time as a striker as well. Totaled 16 games starting 3 of them and brings a great team-oriented attitude, and hopes to compete for more minutes in 2021."

Desert will have two new goalkeepers competing for a starting spot, beginning with: Amara Mike (Palm Desert H.S. class of 2020) who, according to Coach Estrin, "did very well with the Aztecs in her final HS season." And the other keeper is Unica Lawson (La Quinta H.S. class of 2021), who, according to Coach Estrin, "had a very solid HS career." Coach Estrin continued, "It should be a very competitive battle for these two to become the starter. Two transfers from La Sierra University that should add invaluable experience are; Alexis Garcia (La Quinta H.S. class of 2018) and Lupita Torres (Thermal Coachella Valley class of 2020)."

Due to the COVID-19 shutdown which affected many California Community College campuses, including College of the Desert, many Class of 2020 recruits have never stepped foot on campus or have not been on campus since early 2020 when they visited. Just to name a few that look like they should be competing at a very high level will be Jasmine Hernandez & Leeanna Navarro both from Thermal Coachella Valley, Dalaina Johnson of Cathedral City H.S., Britney Gutierrez from Desert Hot Springs H.S., Helen Benitez from Indio Shadow Hills, Monse Salazar Indio H.S. and Alondra Villarreal. All were from the Class of 2020.

In terms of the 2021 incoming class, Coach Estrin indicated that "there are some real good student athletes in this group as well. We have the two from Palm Springs H.S., Karina Arechiga and Zaynah Cortez, who both had solid senior seasons with a good playoff season. Narali Lopez and Elizabeth Garcia coming from Cathedral City H.S. with solid four-year high school careers with both competing for minutes and making an impact in 2021. We then have Monse Bedolla and Rubi Borjas coming out of Thermal Coachella Valley and multiple league titles and deep CIF runs should also compete for solid minutes, and last from the farthest east school in our Valley, Thermal Desert Mirage's Yisel Ybarra should be a good fit for our competitive atmosphere as she got after it in her 4 years with the Rams winning CIF."

Coach Estrin commented that "our 2021 non-Conference schedule might be the most balanced and best one we have had in all my seasons since I began in 2015".

Desert Women's Soccer begins the 2021 season with a scrimmage versus a four-year, perennial NAIA top 25 program, in The Master's University and then they kick-off at home on August 27 at 7 p.m. at the Boone Field Football Stadium versus a brand-new program in the Los Angeles City College Cubs. The Roadrunners stay home for a contest against a perennial CCCAA playoff team in the Citrus College Owls on August 31 at 3 p.m. and then Desert travels to NCAA D3 power, the Claremont McKenna College Athenas.

The Roadrunners head back home to host the Imperial Valley College Arabs on September 3 at 5 p.m. and then Desert hits the road to take on Orange Empire Conference (OEC) power, and playoff team, the Cypress College Chargers. Desert Women's Soccer returns home to Palm Desert to host old Pacific Coast Athletic Conference foe, the Miramar Jets, and then the Roadrunners head out on the road to take on NorCal playoff team, the Taft College Cougars.

To round out the Roadrunners non-Conference schedule, Desert takes on another OEC team in hosting the Santa Ana College Dons and then hits the road to face the Compton College Tartars for the final match before Conference play. Coach Estrin said, "If we can focus and play good solid soccer from game number then these 9 games could dictate how the rest of our season will go".

The 2021 Conference schedule for Desert Women's Soccer is not easy, in 2019, most Conference opponents were relatively balanced. For the Roadrunners, three out of the first four Conference games are at home, then the next four games are on the road. "As always we will always be trying to leapfrog the two Conference powers in perennial CCCAA Regional playoff teams in San Bernardino Valley and Chaffey."

Coach Estrin commented, "We were able to compete with most teams in 2019, for 2021, in the IEAC, we need to be ready to play every match as if it were a playoff game, if we do that and can be successful in the attacking third, then we hope to be competing for a playoff spot in 2021 as well."

One of the new staff additions in 2021 for Desert Women's Soccer is Taylor Doyle. Coach Doyle will be joining the Roadrunners after playing her final two years of college soccer at Bushnell University (NAIA) in Eugene, Oregon. In her two seasons in the Pacific Northwest, Coach Doyle started 29 games on the backline, playing in a total of 30 games for the Beacons.

Coach Doyle is no stranger to the Roadrunners program as she spent two seasons as a member of the Desert Women's Soccer team. While wearing the Red and Gold, Coach Doyle was the mark of consistency, on the backline starting in all 40 games that she played.

Coach Doyle hardly ever missed a minute during those 40 matches, for her career at COD she totaled 9 points on 9 assists. In 2017 and 2018, Coach Doyle earned All-PCAC-North Division honors.

Coach Estrin commented, "I am very pleased to have the addition of Coach Doyle to our coaching staff. To get back a former Roadrunner like her, who committed herself with Coach Doyle's grit and grind attitude to our program as a solid defensive player is tremendous. It will be great to have her leadership around the program, as Coach Doyle now returns to the Valley to start her coaching career."

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Information, Story & Photo provided by COD Sports Information.