Bobcats stun Lancers for first win

The Saddleback men's soccer program won its first game in history with a 1-0 victory over Pasadena City College on Tuesday night inside the stadium.  Joel Smith broke a scoreless tie in the final minute as the Bobcats improved to 1-1 on the season.

Saddleback played well for most of the night, giving up just a handful of scoring opportunities to Pasadena City.  The two teams headed into the final moments locked in a physical battle that saw the two teams combine for five yellow cards and two red cards. 

Following a scrap in the 87^th minute that saw both teams take a red, Saddleback wasted no time and struck within minutes in a 10-on-10 situation when Dominic Ochoa slid a pass to Joel Smith and he beat the PCC keeper for the only goal of the game.  It was a perfect ending to what was a great game for the Bobcats as Saddleback outshot the Lancers 14-7 for the game, including a 9-6 advantage in shots on goal.

Saddleback's defense was stellar in the opening half when Pasadena City recorded zero shots on goal.  The Lancers had six shots on target in the second frame, but keeper Ivan Hernandez stymied the PCC sharpshooters to pick up the first win of his career.  Perhaps the biggest save for Hernandez came in the 86^th minute when Martin Ceja tried to beat Hernandez to the right side of the net but was denied.   

Saddleback is now 1-1 for the season following the win on Tuesday.  The Bobcats will play again on Thursday when they travel to Mt. San Antonio College to take on the perennial power Mounties.  Game time is scheduled for 5:00 PM.