Freshman Ikko Saito scored Long Beach City College's first three goals as the Vikings jumped out to a 5-0 lead before holding on for an 8-4 win over Diablo Valley College in Friday's second semifinal of the CCCAA State Championship at Riverside City College.
Long Beach will face Golden West College for the fifth time this season in Saturday's 12 p.m. state championship final. LBCC will look to win its eighth state championship overall and first since 2006.
Long Beach held its biggest lead of 6-4 after a goal by Nathan Pinkney at the 7:29 mark in the third. Diablo Valley rallied for consecutive goals to get within two, but LBCC closed out the scoring with a late third-quarter goal and added one more in the fourth.
Lazar Andric posted eight saves in goal for Long Beach while Amahai Bloch had 10 saves for DVC.
Score by period 1-2-3-4---F
Diablo Valley 0-2-2-0---4
Long Beach 2-3-2-1---8
1st: Ikko Saito (LB) 6:49, Saito (LB) 5:27; 2nd: Saito (LB) 7:29, Blake Grove (LB) 6:51, Grove (LB) 5:11, Bora Dimitrov (DVC) 3:45, Edoardo Cuomo (DVC) 3:27; 3rd: Nathan Pinkney (LB) 7:29, Dimitrov (DVC) 1:49, Antoine Lena (DVC) 0:57, Grove (LB) 0:24; 4th: Saito (LB) 1:30
Goalie Saves: Amahai Bloch (DVC) 10, Lazar Andric (LB) 8; Shots: Diablo Valley 17, Long Beach 29; Records: Diablo Valley 20-6, Long Beach 26-2