Gauchos open playoffs at Chaffey

The women's soccer team found out on Tuesday that it had qualified for the Southern California Regional Playoffs and will open at Chaffey College on Saturday at 2:00 PM.  The Gauchos were one of four Orange Empire Conference programs to qualify.

Saddleback has had a historic season and it will continue with a berth in the playoffs.  Despite a barrage of injuries, the Gauchos battled through adversity and qualified with ease.  Saddleback earned the No. 10 seed after a 12-3-5 overall finish and despite finishing fourth in conference play were the second highest seeded team from the conference after first place Santiago Canyon.

Saddleback will play Chaffey College, a program that finished second in the South Coast Conference North Division.  The Panthers were 17-2-2 overall and 5-1-2 in SCC North play.  Chaffey finished with the seventh most power points among programs from Southern California while Saddleback was tenth.

The two squads played two common opponents during the course of the season.  Both teams defeated Cuyamaca College by identical 10-0 scores while Saddleback tied Santa Monica College 0-0 and Chaffey defeated Santa Monica, 2-0.  The South Coast Conferences qualified four of its 10 teams for the playoffs  while the Orange Empire qualified four of its nine. 

Game time is scheduled for 2:00 PM in Rancho Cucamonga.