Warriors Come up Empty against Mounties in SCC Semifinal

TORRANCE, Calif. --- El Camino College entered Tuesday's South Coast Conference Tournament Semifinal match against Mount San Antonio with six straight wins with multiple goals in each game.

But the streak came to an end against the Mounties as the Warriors fell 2-0 at the ECC Soccer Field, sending them to the third-place game in the SCC Tournament on Friday at ECC.

The Warriors (9-7-2, 6-2-1) had chances throughout the match but it was the Mounties who were able to cash in two opportunities in the second half to secure the win and advance to the championship game on Friday at ECC.

The first goal came in the 67th minute as Karissa Vela won the battle for a lose ball just outside the 18-yard box. She put a couple of moves on two Warriors defenders to spring herself free and she fired a right-footed shot to the far side, freezing ECC goalkeeper Karlee Clark and giving Mt. SAC the 1-0 lead.

It stayed that way until the 86th minute when the Mounties when Vela sent a left-footed pass to the far side of the field in the attacking third, finding Deanna Rojas wide open. After a couple of touches, Rojas fired a left-footed strike past a diving Clark to put the Mounties up 2-0, securing the win.

Clark finished the day with seven saves for ECC in a losing effort.

The Warriors had their opportunities but they could not solve the Mounties' keeper, Leila Peregrina, who finished with five saves en route to a shutout.