COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Cypress Earns a Measure of Revenge in Soccer

Cypress, which has only known the pain of postseason games decided by penalty kicks, finally won in the same manner Saturday.

Cypress and host Orange Coast failed to score in 90 minutes of regulation and 30 more minutes of overtime but Cypress won, 4-2, in penalty kicks in the Southern California women’s soccer playoffs.

Cypress (17-2-3) advances to the State tournament Saturday at East Los Angeles College. The pairings will be announced Monday.

Orange Coast (15-1-3) had its season come to a painful end. The Pirates had beaten Cypress, 2-1, and, 1-0, in the regular season and won the Orange Empire Conference title.

Cypress had lost in the Southern California playoffs to Moorpark last season on penalty kicks and lost the same way to De Anza in the State title game at OCC in 1993.

“It’s been like a stake in my heart,” said Cypress assistant coach Tino Younger, who couldn’t watch Saturday. “But I did peek once in a while to see what was going on.”

Cypress took a 2-1 lead when Christine Tyler kicked to the right side of the net and OCC goalkeeper Kevyn Reekes got her hands on it but couldn’t keep the ball from going into the net.

OCC tied it, 2-2, when Suzanne Abrams scored but Cypress went ahead, 3-2, when Colby Morgan kicked it past Reekes into the left corner. The score offered Morgan a measure of revenge. Reekes stopped her on a penalty kick in the closing minutes of OCC’s 2-1 victory earlier this season.

“It was the best feeling I’ve had in soccer in a long time,” Morgan said.

Cypress moved into position to win when goalkeeper Jessica Lubman stopped Carrie Martin on a straight-on shot.

The Chargers clinched the victory when Val Brice drove the ball into the left corner for a 4-2 lead.

In the Southern California men’s soccer playoffs:

Rancho Santiago 2, Santa Barbara 0--Raul Moncada scored the go-ahead goal in overtime, advancing Rancho Santiago (18-1-1) to the final four for the second consecutive season.