In its final home game of the 2012 season, the Long Beach City College men's soccer team played visiting El Camino College Compton Center to a 2-2 South Coast Conference tie on Tuesday.
The Vikings will take a 4-12-4 overall and 2-7-4 conference mark into their final game of the year at El Camino College on Friday (Nov. 9) at 7 p.m.
Compton, who is still winless in SCC play, surprised Long Beach with the first goal of the contest in the 18th minute. Juan Sierra scored off a nice cross pass from the left side from Jesus Mejia to put the Tartars up 1-0 early.
The Vikings responded when sophomore Kevin Jimenez snuck in a long distance shot from 25 yards out for a goal in the 30th minute.
Compton (1-12-5, 0-9-3 SCC) regained the lead in the 55th minute when Mejia scored a breakaway goal off a pass from Alfredo Munguia.
Long Beach came back to get the equalizer in the 72nd minute. After a foul was called just outside the Compton penalty box, freshman Jovanny Gomez (pictured) bent his free kick towards the back post. Freshman Manuel Larios was in perfect position for an impressive header goal past Compton goalie Richard Castellanos.
The Vikings continued to pressure Compton throughout the remainder of the contest. In the 58th minute, freshman Joakim Gissberg had his open-net shot cleared by a Compton defender at the goal line.
Castellanos also did his best to keep the Vikings off the scoreboard late. He posted five of his eight saves in the second half. Long Beach went on to outshoot Compton by an 18-9 margin in the contest.
Jimenez along with fellow sophomores Jorge Becerra, Jesse Castaneda, and Ismael Ayala all played in their final home game at LBCC.
Photo By Chris Ruiz
