COD Women's Soccer grabs late goal for huge win over Rio Hondo, 3-2

COD (5-1) scored the go-ahead goal in injury time as Desert knocked off the Rio Hondo Roadrunners of Whittier (1-4) for the first time since 2010, 3-2.

The Roadrunners played against the Rio Hondo Roadrunners of Whittier for the first time in program history in 1997 and hold a 6-30-2 overall record against Rio Hondo. Desert has a 4-14-1 record against Rio Hondo at home. The most recent time the Roadrunners played Rio Hondo was in 2015, but the most recent time Desert defeated Rio Hondo was 2010. Freshman forward Britney Hawkins (Cathedral City H.S.) led the way for Desert in a 3-1 win on November 5 in Palm Desert.

Rio Hondo would get on the board first, in the 8^th minute, a lead they would hold through halftime. Then they added on in the 52^nd minute, to give the opponents a 2-0 lead. It was at this time that something changed and Desert played mad, a little more than 2 minutes later, Desert scored their first goal on a through pass from sophomore forward Amerie Felix (Thermal Desert Mirage) to sophomore midfielder Eva Lupita Torres (Thermal Coachella Valley) for her third goal of the season, to get the home side on the board. In the 66^th minute Torres passed to sophomore midfielder Ximena Perez-Anguiano (Indio Shadow Hills) for the equalizer, her second goal of the season, to tie the game at 2-2. Four minutes into injury time sophomore midfielder Ruby Segura (Rancho Mirage H.S.) pushed a ball directly in front of the net and sophomore forward Fabiana Zavala (Thermal Desert Mirage) poked the shot in, for the game winner. Freshman goal keeper Ana Rojas (Indio Shadow Hills) played all 90 minutes.

The next match-up for the Roadrunners will be at Hovley Soccer Park in Palm Desert against the Irvine Valley Lasers on Friday, September 20 at 5p. The Roadrunners first competed against Irvine Valley in 1997 and hold a 4-1 overall record against them. Desert has a 2-1 record against the Lasers in Palm Desert. The most recent time the Roadrunners played Irvine Valley was in 2023, where Desert snuck by the Lasers, 2-1 on the road, to open the 2023 season on August 25, 2023. Prior to the 2023 meeting, the most recent time Irvine Valley faced the Roadrunners was 2004.

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For additional information, please contact the COD Sports Information Office at 760.423.6641.

Information, Story & Photos provided by COD Sports Information.