Yuba College (3-6-2 overall, 2-1 in the Bay Valley Conference) brought the Marysville heat with them to scorch the women’s soccer team 6-0 on Friday at the Soccer Field.
CCC (0-11 overall, 0-4 in the BVC) came out with an aggressive style that kept the 49ers on their heels for most of the first half.
While this nature of play forced Yuba to remain stacked in its defensive third of the field, it managed to score during quick offensive counter attacks.
The first goal, which squirted past the molten glob of bodies gathered inside the penalty area into goal, was hard to swallow for replacement goalkeeper Taheerah Brewer.
Brewer said she felt the ball brush just past her hands before it went into goal. She was in a shooting gallery for the entire match, facing 15 shots on goal and saving nine.
“Goalie is where I feel most comfortable,” Brewer said. “I can see everything, I can talk to people. (The defense) really had my back today.”
The 90-degree temperature began to take its toll on the Comets 20 minutes into the match. The first sign of fatigue due to heat came during a break away opportunity for Yuba forward Erica Lynch, who was the tallest player on both teams.
Sandwiched between two CCC defenders, it was only the length of Lynch’s stride that allowed her to fire a quick shot that deflected off of Brewer’s left hand and into the goal to put Yuba ahead 2-0 at 25 minutes. The 49ers maintained that lead into the start of the second half.
“Our biggest downfall in this game was the heat,” CCC forward Mayra Garcia said. “I talked to some of Yuba’s players and they said it was just like any other day to them.”
An injury left the already shallow Comet roster short one player on the field.
Comet coach Amanda Beckenhauer decided to play a player down from 17:09 until the end of the first half, even after her sub was ready to return to the game, gaining no offensive advantage with the strategy. When asked after the game why she made the decision to play a player short Beckenhauer refused to comment.
With a full squad back to start the second half, just four minutes after the break Garcia darted quickly past the defensive backline down the center of the field into a rare Comet scoring opportunity.
Her shot, however, was well defended by the 49er goalkeeper Aracely Garcia who ended the game with two saves.
At 50 minutes into the game, Yuba converted a corner kick into a goal when the towering Lynch scored with a headed strike to zap the life from the spiraling Comet team.
No matter how much Beckenhauer encouraged her team to dig deep, there was only so much they could do after fighting to keep the first half somewhat respectable.
When Beckenhauer was approached for a post-game interview she refused to comment.
Roster depth, or lack thereof, is something that is out of the players’ control. But the Comets played tired, hurt and, as one referee said, on a pretty rough looking field.
CCC’s next game is scheduled on Friday at Mendocino College in Ukiah. The team played College of Marin on Tuesday after press time.