Gamez’s Hat Trick Sends Warriors To CCCAA State Championship

TORRANCE, Calif. - Marvin Gamez scored a hat trick as the El Camino College Warriors men's soccer team defeated Rio Hondo College 4-0 on Saturday afternoon at the Warrior Soccer Field in the CCCAA Southern California Regional Third Round.  

The Warriors (22-1) advanced to next weekend's CCCAA State Championship which will take place on Friday (Semifinals) and Sunday (Finals) at Mt. Sac College. 

Marvin Gamez scored his 23rd, 24th, and 25th goal of the season to lead the Warriors offense that outshot the Roadrunners (9-11-4) 21-to-3 for the game. Juan Gomez also got on the scoresheet for the Warriors in the second half.  Gamez's first goal of the game was the Warriors 100th team goal of the season.  Marvin Gamez is the state leader in points (60) and third in goals with 25.*

The Warriors have scored 103 goals so far this season and lead the state by 26 goals scored.  Santa Monica was second with 77 goals.  

The Warriors defense stifled the Roadrunners offense as Donovan Palomares earned his 15th shutout of the season.  The Warriors defense has posted their fifth shutout in a row.  They have not allowed a goal since the 83rd minute against Pasadena City College on 10/31.  They have not allowed an opponent to score in the past 456:53 minutes.  They had a streak earlier this season where they did not allow a goal for 487:56 minutes.  

The Warriors scored in the 13th minute of the game and took a 1-0 lead into halftime.  Donovan Palomares made a move to juke a Rio Hondo attacker.  He sent a pass to Nicholas Baltazar who launched a long ball to Marvin Gamez.  Gamez bended the ball from the right side into the upper left corner of the Rio Hondo goal.

The Warriors scored four minutes into the second half.  Jovanny Mejia played a ball from the middle back to Marvin Gamez on top of the left side of the box.  Gamez shot the ball just to the inside of the right post and caught the goalkeeper out of position to make it a 2-0 game.

Gamez completed his hat trick in the 62nd minute of the game.  Ivan Torres dribbled up the left side and passed it to Marvin Gamez who made a move to dribble past a defender.  With space, Gamez beat the Rio Hondo goalkeeper's near post to make it a 3-0 game.  

The Warriors got their fourth and final goal in the 74th minute.  Alex Salas found a wide open Juan Gomez on a corner kick who headed the ball into the goal to put the final bow tie on the game. 

The Warriors will play the lowest seed remaining in the North in Friday's state semifinal match.  Merced (9) plays Evergreen Valley (4) on one side of the Northern bracket while Santa Rosa (2) plays West Valley (6) on the other side of the bracket.  The other representative from Southern California will be the No. 10 Cuyamaca College who defeated Long Beach City College 2-1 in their third round match.

*Marvin Gamez is the state leader in points with 60 because the Fullerton College-Santa Barbara City College game was not scored correctly in the penalty kick shootout and incorrectly gave two extra points and a goal to their player.