The Long Beach City College men's soccer team hit its home pitch for the second-consecutive game by facing off against the College of the Canyons Cougars Wednesday evening on the Viking Soccer Field and produced some impressive results. While halting the cougars to a mere four shots on the evening, the Vikings gelled to the extreme by firing off 14 shots en route to a 2-0 victory.
Freshman forward Carlos Maldonado (Downey, CA) stole the spotlight in the victory by scoring both goals for Long Beach with his first score coming in the 35th minute. Maldonado corralled a pretty pass from sophomore forward Alfredo Garcia (Paramount, CA) at the top of the box, leading to an easy finish in the bottom right pocket of the goal to give the Vikings the advantage.
Maldonado struck once again in the 73rd minute after a high bouncing ball in the box created a perfect opportunity for the netter. Freshman midfielder Edgar Gonzalez (Long Beach, CA) and freshman forward Nicholas Vasquez (Long Beach, CA) were responsible for the placement of the ball in the box, as they recorded a dual assist.
The backline was phenomenal on the night by being a relentless thorn in the Cougar's side. Freshman defender Juan Reyna (Downey, CA), sophomore defender Hector Rojo (Bellflower, CA), and freshman defender Anthony Gonzalez (Compton, CA) worked effortlessly. They helped lead freshman goalkeeper Saul Ocampo (Hawaiian Gardens, CA) on a path to his first-career victory as a Viking. He reeled in two saves - one coming on a diving stop - through 90 minutes of work.
Freshman defender Christopher Ribet (Cerritos, CA) and sophomore midfielder Jamie Salazar (Long Beach, CA) provided clutch minutes down the stretch as well.
Maldonado spoke after the contest and preached the importance of staying unified as a team in the games to come.
Being at home, we have to take advantage of that," said Maldonado. "We know we have good players and it's going to get better. Everybody is going to get their chance. As far as for me, I got two chances and I took advantage of them."
The Vikings (1-5-2) will look to keep their momentum in a positive direction by facing off against L.A. Harbor on the road on Tuesday, September 27 for their conference opener.