By Erik Luna
The Huskies ended the regular season on a three game win streak after defeating Los Angeles Harbor College, 5-1, last Friday, Nov. 9 at Weingart Stadium.
The Huskies finished the regular season 9-7-5 overall, ending South Coast Conference play in fifth place with a record of 6-5-3. Harbor ended its season 5-13-2, 3-9-2.
The Huskies will now wait for the Southern California Seeding Meeting to find out if they will receive an at-large postseason bid.
Jessica Guzman opened the score within the first five minutes of the game off an assist by teammate Stephanie Bustos.
After a quick dabble for the ball, Guzman retrieved it and set up teammate Leslie Rivera for the second goal.
The goal made Harbor’s defense step up their game. The Huskies were kept back in their midfield for the majority of the first half.
Harbor’s Vanessa Paredes passed ELAC’s goalkeeper Belen Rodriguez and scored, after a fight for the ball with Husky Sonia Gramajo.
ELAC retaliated when Rivera drove the ball towards Harbor’s goalkeeper and got a cross shot in, only to hit the goalpost. Fortunately for the Huskies, Bustos was there to score the third goal for the Huskies.
Harbor’s Marissa Martin and Paredes penetrated through the Husky defense, but Rodriguez thwarted their efforts.
Rivera assisted Leidy Gonzalez’s first goal. For her second goal, Gonzalez got hold of the ball from Harbor’s Linda Navarro and passed goalkeeper Zuri Moraga.
“For the first goal, I was just at the right place at the right time. The second goal was thanks to Arlien (Sanchez). She put the ball in the right spot. I took on two girls and I put it over the goalkeeper’s head,” Gonzalez said.
Harbor’s Head Coach Salvador Diaz said that ELAC deserved the win and that they were the better team. “I hope they do well in the playoffs,” Diaz said.
After the game, ELAC’s freshmen brought out flowers and portraits for the sophomores.
“The freshmen wanted to honor the sophomores for leading the way and for their commitment to the soccer program. Hopefully this win will generate some more ambition for the playoffs, because we definitely need a different level of play,” ELAC Head Coach Tessa Troglia said.