2010 Game Stories
By Dave Loveton, sports information
Friday, August 27 -- Sequoias at SBCC, Girsh Park, Goleta, 5 p.m. SBCC 4, Sequoias 1 Record: 1-0
Guzman, Littleton spark 4-1 win
They each get goal, assist at Girsh Park
It wasn’t exactly a home game on Friday evening but SBCC made itself at home in a 4-1 victory over College of the Sequoias.
The Vaqueros opened the season on the synthetic turf at Girsh Park in Goleta due to work on the track at La Playa Stadium.
Nikolai Littleton and Jean-Carlo Guzman both had a goal and assist for the Vaqueros. Freshman Justin Saul notched the first
goal on a blast to the upper right after an assist from Guzman in the 20th minute. Sequoias had an own goal late in the first
half to give SBCC a 2-0 lead.
“We went out with full pressure and broke down the defense,” said Guzman, a 6-2 forward from Dos Pueblos High who’s one of
five sophomores on the team. “We have a lot of talent on this team. It should be a successful year."
Sequoias cut the margin to 2-1 in the 49th minute. The Vaqueros struck back a minute later when Rodrigo Perez headed the ball to Littleton, who headed it into the net.
In the 75th minute, Littleton made a run up the left side and dropped the ball back to Guzman, who did a 180-degree spin and beat the
keeper up top, stretching the lead to 4-1.
“I didn’t really think about it,” Guzman said. “I just did a turnaround and hit the target.”
SBCC dominated play for most of the game.
“The boys were a little bit nervous before the game because we have a lot of freshmen out there,” said Sisterson. “But they
did us proud. They stepped up and played like men.
“I thought Pierre (Mattsson of Sweden) did a great job at midfield in his first game for the college and freshman Diego (Diaz-Duenas),
who’s really a forward, slotted in at left back and did a tremendous job as well.”
The Vaqueros return to action on Tuesday at Santa Ana.
Tuesday, Aug. 31 -- SBCC at Santa Ana, 4 p.m . Santa Ana 2, SBCC 0 Record: 1-1
Santa Ana blanks Vaqueros 2-0
Santa Ana scored on a penalty kick in the 48th minute and a corner kick in the 81st on Tuesday to hand SBCC its first men’s
soccer loss of the season 2-0.
The visiting Vaqueros (1-1) dominated the first 20 minutes, according to coach John Sisterson, but the first half ended in
a 0-0 tie.
“We had opportunities but the quality wasn’t there in the final third (of the field),” noted Sisterson. “Our defense was
sloppy on that corner kick.”
Sisterson praised the play of Pierre Mattsson, a freshman midfielder from Sweden, and said Salvador Orozco played well at
right back.
SBCC will take the next nine days off before traveling to Taft on Sept. 10.
Friday, Sept. 10 -- SBCC at Taft, 3 p.m. SBCC 2, Taft 0 Record: 2-1
Vaqueros notch first shutout, 2-0
Mattsson, Littleton score three minutes apart
Pierre Mattsson and Nikolai Littleton scored in a three-minute span of the first half and SBCC recorded its first shutout
Friday in a 2-0 men’s soccer triumph at Taft.
Mattsson converted a penalty kick in the 22nd minute for the Vaqueros (2-1) after Chijioke Aranotu was pulled down in the
box. Littleton made it 2-0 in the 24th minute on a looping shot from 25 yards out.
Freshman goalie Yonha Adrabi and the Vaquero defense notched their first shutout in a game that was played in 86-degree heat.
Taft was the state runner-up in 2009.
“We dominated the game,” noted coach John Sisterson. “It’s great to come up here and get two wins.” The Vaquero women beat
Taft 3-1 in the first half of the nonconference doubleheader.
SBCC will open a four-game homestand on Tuesday night against San Bernardino Valley at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 14 -- San Bernardino Valley at SBCC, 7 p.m. SBCC 2, San Bernardino 0 Record: 3-1
SBCC gets second straight shutout
Alvarez, Mattsson find net in 2-0 win
Arturo Alvarez and Pierre Mattsson scored first-half goals Tuesday night and SBCC went on to beat San Bernardino Valley 2-0 in its first men’s soccer game on the new La Playa Stadium synthetic turf.
It was the second straight 2-0 victory for the Vaqueros (3-1), who‘ve outscored their opponents 8-3.
After a corner kick, the ball bounced off a Wolverine defender and onto the foot of Alvarez in the 21st minute. The sophomore from Carpinteria High beat the keeper with a blast from 26 yards.
Mattsson, a freshman from Sweden, scored on a 19-yard free kick in the 36th minute. The left-footed goal was his second in as many games.
“Chee-Jee (Chijioke Aranotu) was running and got fouled,” said Mattsson. “I put it in the right corner. The goalkeeper had no chance.”
Arantou had an opportunity to score early in the second half but his shot went wide left. In the 85th minute, Vaquero goalie Yonha Adrabi made a leaping deflection and the ball bounced off the crossbar.
“We played well in the first half but the second half was disappointing,” said coach John Sisterson. “We got two early goals, I thought we could have had more.
“Juan Sanchez (a defender from Santa Ynez High) was tremendous. He was the man of the match.”
SBCC will play host to L.A. Harbor in another nonconference game on Friday at 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 17 -- L.A. Harbor at SBCC, 7 p.m. SBCC 2, L.A. Harbor 0 Record: 4-1
Vaqueros notch third shutout in a row
Ettariki, Littleton score in 2-0 triumph
Mohamed Ettariki scored his first collegiate goal in the 30th minute Friday night and SBCC went on to blank L.A. Harbor 2-0
in a men’s soccer game at foggy La Playa Stadium.
Nikolai Littleton made it 2-0 in the 53rd minute and goalie Yonha Adrabi and the defense stymied the Seahawks (2-2-1) the
rest of the way. It was the third straight 2-0 win by the Vaqueros (4-1).
Sophomore Kalum Horne assisted on both goals. On the first one, he broke free on the right side and crossed it to Ettariki,
who scored from 10 yards out on a back-heel flick.
“I came to Santa Barbara to change my life,” said Ettariki, a 6-2 freshman forward from Stockholm, Sweden who made his first
start on Saturday. “I saw Kalum making a good run and I said, ‘This is my chance.’ I flicked it with my right foot … something
good for the audience to remember.”
In the 53rd minute, Horne got open to the right of the box and slotted it to Littleton, who scored from 17 yards out.
“We have a lot of talent and this is a young team,” said Ettariki. “We’ve played really well the first few games and I think
there’s more to come.”
SBCC will host Rio Hondo on Friday night before opening WSC play against L.A. Mission on Sept. 28 at home. The Vaqueros are
the two-time defending WSC champions.
Friday, Sept. 24 -- Rio Hondo at SBCC, 7 p.m. SBCC 1, Rio Hondo 0 Record: 5-1
Mattsson’s PK lifts Vaqueros, 1-0
Adrabi records fourth straight shutout
Pierre Mattsson converted a penalty kick in the 31st minute Friday night and SBCC’s defense did the rest in a 1-0 men’s soccer
win over Rio Hondo at La Playa Stadium.
Mattsson, a freshman midfielder from Filborne, Sweden, used his left foot to drill the ball into the lower right corner after
the visitors were called for a hand ball.
It was the fourth straight victory and fourth consecutive shutout by Yonha Adrabi and the Vaquero defense. SBCC (5-1) vaulted
from 11th to fourth in the South Region power rankings. It was only the second loss for the Roadrunners (8-2-2).
Kalum Horne and Chijioke Aranotu had several good scoring chances in the final nonconference game but Rio Hondo goalie Kevin
Bustamonte denied them each time.
“With a little luck, we could have had a couple more,” said SBCC coach John Sisterson, whose team has outscored its opponents
11-3. “We have to work on our finishing. I think Kalum did very well up top and the defense was great, especially Roberto
Santana.”
SBCC will complete a four-game homestand on Tuesday in their WSC opener. The two-time defending WSC champions will take on
L.A. Mission at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 28 (WSC opener) -- L.A. Mission at SBCC, 7:30 p.m. SBCC 2, L.A. Mission 0 Record: 6-1
Vaqueros open WSC with 2-0 win
Aranotu, Perez score in fifth straight shutout
SBCC’s Chijioke Aranotu scored in the ninth minute Tuesday night and Rodrigo Perez added a late goal to secure a 2-0 men’s
soccer victory over L.A. Mission in the WSC opener at La Playa Stadium.
It the fifth straight shutout by the two-time defending WSC champion Vaqueros (6-1), who are ranked No. 2 in the state. They’ve
won their last five by a combined 9-0 and have captured eight straight at home, dating back to last year.
Roberto Santana assisted on the first goal. In the 83rd minute, Perez blasted a shot to the top shelf after taking a through
ball from Pierre Mattsson.
Friday, Oct. 1 -- SBCC at Oxnard, 4 p.m. SBCC 1, Oxnard 0 Records: 7-1, 2-0 WSC
Mattsson’s free kick lifts No. 5 Vaqueros
SBCC blanks Oxnard 1-0 for sixth straight win
Pierre Mattsson converted a free kick from 30 yards out in the 14th minute on Friday afternoon and SBCC’s defense made it
stand up for a 1-0 WSC men’s soccer victory at Oxnard.
Goalie Yonha Adrabi earned his sixth straight shutout for the Vaqueros (7-1, 2-0), who are ranked fifth in the state and
third in Southern California.
Salvador Orozco hit the post with a shot in the 70th minute.
“It was a tight game with a lot of tough tackles,” said assistant coach Paul Hart. “Branden Tangel and Roberto Santana both
played well on defense.”
Tuesday, Oct. 5 -- Citrus at SBCC, 7 p.m. SBCC 3, Citrus 0 Records: 8-1, 3-0
Aranotu strikes twice in 3-0 win
Adrabi records school-record 7th straight shutout
The Double-A Show was on display Tuesday night at La Playa Stadium as SBCC topped Citrus 3-0 to extend its school-record shutout streak to seven straight games.
The Vaqueros, ranked No. 4 in the state men’s soccer poll, improved to 8-1 overall and 3-0 in WSC play. Santa Barbara and Hancock are the only unbeaten teams at 3-0. Citrus fell to 0-7-2 and 0-3.
Chijioke Aranotu, a freshman forward from Mira Costa High, scored in the 20th and 22nd minutes for SBCC, which led 2-0 at halftime. Sophomore goalie Yonha Adrabi made three spectacular saves to preserve the seventh consecutive clean sheet.
SBCC hasn’t allowed a goal in 639 minutes, dating back to Aug. 31.
Aranotu, better known as “Chi-Ji,” took a long pass from Arturo Alvarez, shook off one defender, then spun 180 degrees to avoid another and found the top left corner from 18 yards out.
Two minutes later, Kalum Horne slid a pass to Aranotu, who back-heeled the ball in from close range as he was sliding toward the goal.
“Kalum is one of our guys who likes to go one-on-one and I knew he was going to pass it inside,” said Aranotu. “We work on it in practice all the time.”
Horne made it 3-0 in the 55th minute on an assist from Justin Saul.
“Chi-Ji’s second goal was tremendous, we had good ball movement on that play,” said fourth-year coach John Sisterson. “I was a little disappointed with the overall performance, playing against a team that hadn’t won a game. We had a spell of 10 minutes in the first half when we played well.”
The Vaqueros open a three-game road trip on Friday at Glendale, starting at 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 8 -- SBCC at Glendale, 7 p.m. SBCC 2, Glendale 1 Records: 9-1, 4-0
Mattsson’s PK caps comeback win
Vaqueros edge Glendale 2-1; Shutout streak ends
SBCC gave up its first goal in 38 days on Friday night, then stormed back to post a 2-1 WSC victory at Glendale.
The Vaqueros (9-1, 4-0) prevailed on Pierre Mattsson’s penalty kick in the 77th minute. They won for the eighth straight
time but their school-record seven-game shutout string came to an end in the 60th minute. It was the first goal allowed by
keeper Yonha Adrabi and the defense since Aug. 31, a span of 699 minutes.
Rodrigo Perez tied the game in the 73rd minute on a long throw-in. The freshman from Dos Pueblos High used his signature
“flip” throw-in (doing a forward flip, then heaving the ball) to send the ball to the goalie, who mishandled it for the goal.
Four minutes later, Chijioke Aranotu was pushed in the box and Pierre, a freshman from Sweden, converted his third PK of
the season. It was the fourth game-winner for Pierre, who leads the team with five goals.
“We dominated the game with 85 percent possession,“ noted coach John Sisterson. “We were happy to get the three points.”
Tuesday, Oct. 12 -- SBCC at Moorpark, 2 p.m. SBCC 2, Moorpark 2, tie Records: 9-1-1, 4-0-1
Vaqueros tie 2-2 at Moorpark
Littleton, Tangel score for SBCC
SBCC surrendered an early goal on Tuesday at Moorpark, came back to take a 2-1 lead, then settled for a 2-2 tie.
The Vaqueros, who started the day tied for first in the WSC with Hancock, fell to 9-1-1 overall and 4-0-1 in conference.
Moorpark is 1-7-3 and 0-3-2.
After the Raiders scored in the third minute, Nick Littleton tied the game with a 25-yard shot into the left corner in the
15th minute. SBCC went ahead 2-1 in the 38th when Branden Tangel headed in a corner kick from Littleton.
The Vaqueros, ranked No. 6 in Southern Cal, didn’t defend a corner kick well in the 56th minute, according to coach John
Sisterson, and the Raiders tied it on a header. Sisterson said goalie Yonha Adrabi made several strong saves.
Santa Barbara’s defense was ranked No. 1 in the state before Tuesday’s game, allowing just four goals in 10 games. They’ve
outscored their opponents 21-6 this season.
“It’s always tough for us down at Moorpark,” said Sisterson. “It was disappointing that we didn’t finish our chances and
that we gave up two goals. We didn’t move the ball around quickly enough and it was a little sloppy at times.”
Friday, Oct. 15 -- SBCC at Canyons, Santa Clarita, 4 p.m. SBCC 1, Canyons 0 Records: 10-1-1, 5-0-1 WSC (1st place)
Mattsson gets fifth game-winner, 1-0
SBCC takes sole possession of first place
Pierre Mattsson converted a free kick in the 21st minute Friday afternoon and the SBCC defense made it stand up for a 1-0
victory at Canyons.
The Vaqueros (10-1-1, 5-0-1), ranked No. 4 in the state and 10th in the nation, took over sole possession of first place
in the Western State Conference. Hancock (5-1) lost to Oxnard 3-2 on Tuesday after leading 2-0.
Mattsson, a freshman midfielder from Sweden, bent a 25-yard free kick into the right-hand corner for his fifth game-winning
goal of the year. Three of his six goals have come on direct kicks.
“It was a very, very good team performance,” said coach John Sisterson, whose club is 9-0-1 in its last 10 games. “We defended
well and competed for every ball.”
The Vaqueros will take on Hancock in a first-place battle on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in La Playa Stadium.
Tuesday, Oct. 19 -- Hancock at SBCC, 7:30 p.m. No. 3 SBCC 4, No. 4 Hancock 1 Records: 11-1-1, 6-0-1 WSC
Vaqueros sound the Horne in 4-1 win
Sophomore has three assists in first-place showdown
Kalum Horne had three assists Tuesday night, leading SBCC to a 4-1 victory over Hancock in a first-place battle at rainy La
Playa Stadium.
The Vaqueros, ranked third in the state and fifth in the nation, improved to 11-1-1 and completed the first round of WSC
play unbeaten with a 6-0-1 record. SBCC, bidding for its third straight WSC title, took a four-point lead (19-15) over No.
4 Hancock (9-4-1, 5-2) atop the conference.
It was the 10th straight home win for Santa Barbara, which is 7-0 at home this season.
Chijioke Aranotu scored the only goal of the first half in the 29th minute, taking a pass from Horne and beating the goalie
1-on-1.
“It was a decent counter-attack,” said Horne, a sophomore forward from Woodgate, England. “I cut it across, saw ChiJi and
it was happy days.”
John-Joe Slater, also from England, made it 2-0 in the 63rd minute after taking a short cross from Horne. “I managed to step
inside the fullback and Niks (Nicholai Littleton) let it go and John-Joe hit it first time into the back of the net," said
Horne. "It was good to play in the rain, it was like back home.
“I was expecting a closer game but we could have scored six or seven, to be honest.”
Vaquero midfielder Pierre Mattsson hit the right post on a penalty kick late in the first half.
Hancock’s Amner Rubio received a red card in the 74th minute after his second hard tackle on Aranotu in three minutes.
Four minutes later, Branden Tangel made it 3-0 by heading in a corner kick from Littleton. Rosario Bras put the visitors
on the board with a PK that went off the hands of keeper Yonha Adrabi in thbe 80th minute.
In the 83rd minute, Jean-Carlo Guzman dribbled around the goalie and scored into an empty net after taking a pass from Horne.
“I was delighted with the way we played,” said coach John Sisterson, who arrived early in the second half after coaching
the women‘s team at Ventura. “As we keep telling them, it’s not just about winning, it’s about how you play and the boys turned
it on tonight.
“Kalum looked sharp. He had a slight injury earlier this season but he’s finding his form now.”
Friday, Oct. 22 -- SBCC at L.A. Mission, Sylmar, 1 p.m. No. 3 SBCC 2, L.A. Mission 0 Records: 12-1-1, 7-0-1
No. 3 Vaqueros blank Mission
Adrabi earns ninth shutout in 2-0 road win
Kalum Horne and Rodrigo Perez provided the offense on Friday and Yonha Adrabi produced another clean sheet in SBCC’s 2-0 victory
over L.A. Mission in Sylmar.
The first-place Vaqueros (12-1-1, 7-0-1), ranked No. 2 in Southern Cal and No. 3 in the state, have won three straight and
11 of their last 12.
Horne took a pass from Juan Sanchez, beat two players and scored in the 25th minute. In the 79th minute, Rodrigo Perez broke
through on the right side and beat the goalie up top.
Adrabi, the No. 1 keeper in the state, notched his ninth shutout. He’s allowed just five goals in 1,170 minutes for a 0.38
average.
“It was a workman-like performance,” said coach John Sisterson. “It’s a small field and that didn’t suit us well. The boys
played hard and ground out the win.”
SBCC will take on second-place Oxnard (6-1 before Friday’s game) on Tuesday in La Playa Stadium, starting at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 26 -- Oxnard at SBCC, 7:30 p.m. No. 3 SBCC 0, No. 25 Oxnard 0, tie Records: 12-1-2, 7-0-2 WSC (1st place)
Vaqueros tie Oxnard 0-0
Adrabi gets second straight shutout
SBCC had a handful of scoring chances on Tuesday night in La Playa Stadium but couldn’t find the net in a 1-1 men’s soccer
tie with Oxnard.
The third-ranked Vaqueros (12-1-2, 7-0-2) remained one point ahead of the No. 25 Condors (7-3-5, 7-1-1) atop the Western
State Conference. Goalie Yonha Adrabi and the defense earned their second straight shutout and 10th of the year.
Kalum Horne narrowly missed a shot early in the contest and Rodrigo Perez was just wide on a second-half opportunity.
“We had about five good scoring chances and Oxnard hit the crossbar with a few minutes to go,” said coach John Sisterson.
“We would have liked to win but it was important that we didn’t lose.”
Friday, Oct. 29 -- SBCC at Citrus, 2 p.m. No. 3 SBCC 4, Citrus 0 Records: 13-1-2, 8-0-2 WSC
Guzman’s hat trick sparks Vaqueros
No. 3 SBCC blanks Citrus 4-0
Jean-Carlo Guzman recorded a hat trick on Friday afternoon and Pierre Mattson had three assists as third-ranked SBCC blanked Citrus 4-0 in a men's soccer match at Glendora.
Guzman, a sophomore from Dos Pueblos High, scored in the 22nd, 69th and 84th minutes for the Vaqueros (13-1-2, 8-0-2 WSC), who posted their third straight shutout and went unbeaten in October (7-0-2).
It was the 11th shutout for keeper Yonha Adrabi and the Santa Barbara defense, which is ranked No. 1 in the state, allowing just seven goals in 16 games.
Guzman, who had one goal before Friday’s game, took a pass from Mattsson and scored at the 22:38 mark. Roberto Santana scored his first goal of the year on a header just 1:29 into the second half.
Mattsson, a freshman from Sweden, got his third assist on Guzman’s second goal. Guzman completed the hat trick with 5:02 to play on a penalty kick.
SBCC outshot the Owls 20-3.
The Vaqueros open a three-game homestand on Tuesday when Glendale comes to La Playa Stadium for a 7 p.m. game.
Tuesday, Nov. 2 -- Glendale at SBCC, 7 p.m. No. 13 SBCC 10, Glendale 1 Records: 14-1-2, 9-02 WSC (1st place)
Seven second-half goals fuel rout
Horne, Diaz have two apiece in 10-1 win
Kalum Horne had two goals and two assists and Diego Diaz-Duenas added two goals as SBCC blasted Glendale 10-1 on Tuesday in a WSC match at La Playa Stadium.
The first-place Vaqueros, ranked third in the state, poured in seven second-half goals to improve to 14-1-2 overall and 9-0-2 in the WSC. They lead Oxnard by a point (29-28) with three games to play.
The Vaqueros are 8-0-1 at home this year and 11-0-1 in their last 12 home matches.
SBCC played without its top scorer, Pierre Mattsson, who sat after accumulating five yellow cards.
Horne opened the scoring in the 10th minute on an assist from Jean-Carlo Guzman. After Glendale tied it on a free kick, Guzman headed in his fourth goal in two games in the 31st minute on a corner kick from Nikolai Littleton.
Littleton made it 3-1 in the 39th minute on a back-heel flick of a pass from Antonio Alvarez.
“Everyone played well,” said coach John Sisterson. “We led 3-1 at half and we kept going forward. Nick did a good job on the corner kicks.
“Our defense was solid and we never took our foot off the pedal.”
Santa Barbara tallied six more goals than it had in any game this year. The 10 goals are the highest total in Sisterson's four years as coach.
Glendale received a red card two minutes in the second half and the Vaqueros took advantage with two quick goals by Diaz-Duenas (free kick, 48th) and Roberto Santana (header, 53rd).
Guzman picked up a red card in the 55th minute and the Vaqueros didn’t miss a beat in the 10-on-10 action. They scored four times in a 17-minute span (65th to 82nd) with Horne, Arvin Ali-Hosseini, Brandon Tangel and Chijioke Aranotu providing the goals that made it 9-1.
Diaz-Duenas completed the scoring with a 27-yard strike in the 87th minute.
SBCC continues its three-game homestand on Friday against Moorpark at 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 5 -- Moorpark at SBCC, 7 p.m. No. 5 SBCC 5, Moorpark 0 Records: 15-1-2, 10-0-2
No. 5 Vaqueros blank Moorpark 5-0
Five players score; Adrabi gets 12th shutout
SBCC scored two goals in a 16-minute span of the first half on Friday night and went on to blank Moorpark 5-0 in a men’s soccer match at La Playa Stadium.
The Vaqueros, ranked No. 5 in the state, improved to 9-0-1 at home this season. They’ve won their last two home games by a combined 15-1 and are 6-0-1 in their last seven, winning by a whopping 26-2.
SBCC (15-1-2, 10-0-2) maintained its one-point lead over Oxnard (10-1-1) atop the Western State Conference with two games to play. The two-time defending champion Vaqueros are 32-2-6 in the last three years of WSC action.
It was the 12th shutout and fourth in five games for Yonha Adrabi and the defense, which is ranked No. 1 in California.
Pierre Mattsson scored in the 21st minute by sliding a 23-yard shot past the keeper after a cross from Kalum Horne. Nikolai Littleton made it 2-0 in the 37th minute by driving a shot to the right side after a through ball from Antonio Alvarez.
“We scored five goals and had a clean sheet,” said Mattsson, a midfielder from Sweden. “That’s perfect. We love playing together.”
Mattsson has a team-high seven goals and six have been game-winners.
Horne (59th minute), Justin Saul (59th) and John-Joe Slater (69th) scored in the second half on assists from Saul, Alvarez and Mattsson.
“The first half was competitive,” said coach John Sisterson. “Once we got one goal and then the second, we adjusted and got a little more speed on the left flank.
“We work very hard and this is a well-adjusted group.“
SBCC will host Canyons at 7 p.m. on Tuesday before finishing the regular season at Hancock on Friday afternoon.
Tuesday, Nov. 9 -- Canyons at SBCC 7 p.m. Canyons 2, No. 7 SBCC 0 Records: 15-2-2, 10-1-2 WSC
Canyons stuns Vaqueros 2-0
SBCC suffers first WSC loss, falls into second
Canyons scored in the 15th and 55th minutes Tuesday night and did something only one other opponent has done in 10 weeks by
shutting out SBCC 2-0 in a WSC match at La Playa Stadium.
It was only the second loss for the Vaqueros (15-2-2, 10-1-2) and the first in conference play. Oxnard (11-1-1) beat Hancock
on Tuesday and moved into first place, two points ahead of Santa Barbara with one game to play.
There was a confluence of factors that played against the Vaqueros -- playmaker Kalum Horne missed the match due to five
yellow cards and Pierre Mattsson, their top scorer with seven goals and four assists, hurt his foot in the first half and
never returned.
“There was a lack of quality tonight,” said coach John Sisterson. “We didn’t train well (on Monday) and we lost Pierre in
the first half. All in all, I thought they wanted it more and worked hard for the win.”
The third-place Cougars (12-5-2, 8-3-2) handed SBCC its first home loss of the season (9-1-1).
“It was one of those days in sports -- you have good days and you have awful days,” said freshman midfielder Nikolai Littleton.
“We didn’t have Kalum in the lineup and losing Pierre was a huge blow. He’s definitely the heart and soul of this team.”
SBCC finishes the regular season on Friday with a 1 p.m. game at Hancock in Santa Maria and the Vaqueros could still win
their third straight WSC title with a victory and a loss by Oxnard. The Condors host Canyons at 3 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 12 -- SBCC at Hancock, Santa Maria, 1 p.m. No. 7 SBCC 1, No. 19 Hancock 1, tie Final regular-season records: 15-2-3, 10-1-3 WSC
Vaqueros tie Hancock 1-1
Littleton scores late goal; SBCC finishes 2nd
Nikolai Littleton scored in the 88th minute Friday afternoon to help No. 7 SBCC earn a 1-1 tie with No. 19 Hancock in the regular-season finale at Santa Maria.
The Vaqueros, ranked third in Southern Cal, are 15-2-3 and 10-1-3 in conference. Oxnard ended SBCC’s two-year reign as conference champs. The Condors (11-2-1), who lost to Canyons 2-0 on Friday, edged the Vaqueros in conference points, 34-33.
Santa Barbara went 6-1-2 in its last nine games and tied for the best defense in the state, allowing just 11 goals while scoring 48.
Hancock (12-7-2, 8-5-1) took a 1-0 lead in the 46th minute. Littleton looped the ball over the goalie for the equalizer in the 88th.
“It was a game we should have won,” said coach John Sisterson. “We created a lot of chances but couldn’t put it in the net. ChiJi (Chijioke Aronatu) had a great bicycle kick (with his back to the goal) that missed by inches in the second half.”
SBCC will get a home game in the opening round of the South Region playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 20. The top 14 teams in the Southern Cal power rankings at www.ccsoccernews.com will make the field with the top two seeds getting first-round byes.
Saturday, Nov. 20 -- Souther Cal Regional, first round: Hancock (12) at SBCC (5), 7 p.m. SBCC 3, Hancock 2 (SB advances on PKs, 5-4) Record: 16-2-3
Vaqueros win with dramatic rally
They tie with two late goals, then advance on PKs
Trailing 2-0 with just three minutes to play, the outlook was dim for the SBCC men’s soccer squad on Saturday night in its
Southern Cal Regional playoff opener with Hancock.
“It looked like we were down and out,” said Kalum Horne, a sophomore forward from England.
That’s when Horne went to work, scoring a penalty kick after getting pulled down in the box in the 88th minute, then finding
himself alone just a few feet from the goal line and booting the game-tying goal with 40 seconds to play. Juan Sanchez sent
a long pass to JC Guzman, who flicked it off his head. The ball caromed off the right post and right onto the feet of Horne.
The teams went through two 15-minute overtime periods without a goal. Hancock played the last 19 minutes with 10 players
after Abimael Otero received a red card.
It went to penalty kicks and Vaquero goalie Yonha Adrabi rejected the first one, propelling the home team to a 5-4 advantage
and a 3-2 win that sent them into Tuesday’s second round at San Diego City (17-2-3).
“It was nerve-wracking,” said Adrabi, the No. 1-ranked goalie in the state. “I think we were the better team throughout the
game, we had more chances. We showed a lot of heart tonight. We fought it out.”
Horne, Nikolai Littleton, Chijioke Aranotu, Justin Saul and Roberto Santana all converted penalty kicks to help the Vaqueros
improve to 16-3-2.
“We’ve been practicing PKs for about three weeks and that came in handy,” said Horne.
The Vaqueros played without Pierre Mattsson, their leading scorer, who broke his ankle and is out for the season.
It was the second straight meeting between 12th-seeded Hancock (12-6-2) and the No. 5 seeded Vaqueros. The teams had tied
1-1 on Nov. 12 when Littleton scored in the 88th minute.
On Saturday, Rosario Bras scored Hancock’s goals in the eighth and 75th minutes. He leads the state with 30 goals.
“When I saw three minutes on the clock, I thought we were out,” said coach John Sisterson. “We had good chances in the first
half and we didn’t convert.
“We came back from the brink. Yonha’s save was critical.”
Tuesday, Nov. 23 -- Southern Cal Regional, second round: SBCC (5) at San Diego City (4), 2 p.m. San Diego City 1, SBCC 0 Final record: 16-3-3
Vaqueros fall in second round, 1-0
Sisterson says his team ’looked tired’
San Diego City scored in the 62nd minute Tuesday afternoon and hung on for a 1-0 men’s soccer victory over visiting SBCC in
the second round of the Southern Cal Regional.
The Knights improve to 18-2-3 while the Vaqueros end their year with a 16-3-3 record. It was only the fourth time that SBCC
has been shut out this year.
“We looked tired and we just didn’t have a threat up front, which is unusual for us,” said coach John Sisterson, whose team
averages 2.4 goals. “Maybe Saturday took too much out of us.”
The Vaqueros rallied from a 2-0 deficit against Hancock three days ago with two goals by Kalum Horne in the final three minutes.
After 30 minutes of overtime, they went to penalty kicks and Santa Barbara advanced by a 5-4 tally.
SBCC’s Yonha Adrabi, the top-ranked goalkeeper in the state, got a red card in stoppage time after the second half for taking
down the center half. Freshman Nick Rilovich came in and stopped the penalty kick.
“We got to the second round of the playoffs and only lost three games,” Sisterson noted. “This is a young group and I’m very
pleased with our season.”
