The woman’s soccer team missed its chance for a conference sweep when it lost 3-1 to the College of Marin (1-11 overall, 1-9 in the Bay Valley conference) on Nov. 4 at the Soccer field.

Contra Costa College (1-17 overall, 1-10 in the BVC) lacked roster depth and gave the Comet forward Mayra Garcia an incentive to take more shots on goal. Garcia finished the game with 9 shots and one unassisted goal.

“In the previous game (Garcia) had chances but she was going wide instead of inside,” CCC assistant coach Magaly Junco said. “That would let the other team get back, I just told her to go forward and take the shot.”

At 33 minutes, Garcia drove her way through the heart of the Mariner defense and fired a bullet that shot past the COM goalkeeper Patty Lindsay before she had time to react.

“Coach Mag had a talk with me before the game,” Garcia said. “I didn’t even think about it, I just took the shot.”

CCC did not have a starting eleven, or even 10 players for most of the game. It had nine players to field without substitutions. Until an inadvertent blow to the head made the contest more lopsided when Comet defender Gibsy Vilchis was brought off the field to tend to a bloody nose. “I’m ok,” she said. “I just hope it’s not broken.”

The Comets doubled the Mariners in shot production 10-5. There was an aggressive tension on the field and the back and forth action in the contest allowed no team to gain consistent momentum.

The Mariners led by two early in the first half on goals by Monica Vasquez and Angelly Rodriguez. The lone Comet goal came shortly after. It was followed, however, by a COM offensive flurry that the CCC defensive backline had to contain for its team to remain a threat.

The Comets trailed 2-1 at the half.

Past the halftime break, CCC continued its streamlined approach by starting with nine players on the field. Playing the offside trap routinely worked and slowed down offensive breaks that would get past the Comets’ defensive third of the field.

After the third Mariner goal was scored at 55 minutes into the game however. Garcia and the Comets peppered the Mariner goalkeeper Patty Lindsay, who ended the game with nine saves, with a barrage of shots on goal as CCC tired its best to spoil the party.

The effort fell short and the end result was a 3-1 loss to COM. CCC lost its following game 8-0 against Mendocino College (15-3 overall, 7-2 in the BVC) at the Soccer Field to end conference play.

The Comet’s will play a scrimmage against Las Positas College at the Soccer Field at 1 p.m. on Nov.14.