UPDATE: The College of the Canyons Cougars delivered a stunning performance, defeating Citrus College 6-2 during their annual Sophomore Night on November 3, 2023. This decisive victory marks a season-high goal tally for the Cougars, showcasing their dominance on home turf.
With this win, Canyons improves its overall record to 5-11-3 and enhances its home performance to 4-4-2 for the season. The match was an emotional farewell for the team’s five sophomores: Diego Briseno, Steven Garcia, Juandiego Rodriguez, Jeffrey Contreras, and Leon Mikailian, who were honored before kickoff for their vital contributions over the past two seasons.
The action kicked off after a scoreless first half, with Ivan Omana breaking the deadlock just two minutes into the second half, scoring his first goal of the season in the 47th minute with an assist from Andrew Sorto.
Less than a minute later, Omana struck again at the 48th minute, doubling the lead to 2-0 thanks to a setup from Carlos Mendez. Citrus College responded in the 61st minute when Kevin Cardenas scored, narrowing the gap to 2-1.
However, Canyons continued to press, with sophomore Jeffrey Contreras netting his first goal of the season in the 73rd minute, making it 3-1. Cardenas quickly answered back for Citrus, scoring again to keep the game competitive at 3-2.
The Cougars then unleashed a scoring frenzy, with Juandiego Rodriguez finding the net twice in quick succession at the 74th and 87th minutes, bringing his season total to three goals. His first goal came from an assist by Justin Assadi, while his second was set up by Mikailian.
Mikailian capped off the Cougars’ impressive night with a goal in the 90th minute, sealing the game at 6-2. COC goalkeeper Jonathan Mazon started the match, making two saves, while David Zendejas played the second half, helping secure the victory.
Canyons dominated the match with a remarkable 26 shots, including 17 on goal, and earned nine corner kicks. Despite the loss, Citrus goalie AJ Baragan made an impressive nine saves during the match.
Looking ahead, the Cougars are set to conclude their season with a critical matchup against Santa Monica College on Wednesday. Fans and supporters are eager to see if the team can carry this momentum into their final game.
