Gauchos restore power on opening day

The Saddleback women's soccer team kicked off the 2018 season with a 4-0 win at Mt. San Jacinto College on Tuesday in Menifee.  It was the biggest win on opening day since 2013.

Saddleback had a power outage in 2017 and wanted to make a statement that the power had been restored to start the 2018 campaign.  The Gauchos scored four goals on opening day, something they did only one time in 2017. 

Saddleback took a 1-0 lead in the 30^th minute when Kenya Salgado took a pass on a counter attack from Caitlin Dolan and chipped it over the Mt. San Jacinto keeper for a 1-0 lead.  The Gauchos opened the second half with a goal in the first five minutes when Samantha Belmonte fed Rebecca Zachary for a goal in the 50^th minute.  Five minutes later the Gauchos opened up a commanding lead when Dolan earned her second assist of the game by feeding a cross to Chelsea Viera, who put it in the upper-right corner.  Saddleback added injury to insult in the 85^th minute when Melissa Benitez sent a cross to Mia Geaney, who promptly put it in the back of the net for a 4-0 lead. 

Meanwhile, the Saddleback defense was solid.  The Gauchos allowed just five shots on keeper Jolie Moore, who earned her first collegiate win.

The 4-0 win by Saddleback was the biggest win on opening day since the Gauchos beat El Camino-Compton College, 6-1, in 2013. 

Saddleback will play again on Friday when they travel to Palomar College to take on the Comets.  Game time is scheduled for 2:00 PM.