Delta’s women’s soccer team earned a hard fought victory at home on Friday afternoon against Sierra College in what was a an intense matchup between two of Northern California’s top competitors.
The Mustangs (15-0-1) came off of a 1-1 tie against Folsom Lake which ended the team’s winning streak at 13, but continues to keep a 16-game undefeated streak alive in the season.
The Wolverines (12-2) were coming from a 6-0 win against Sacramento City last week and sought to remain at the top of the Big 8 Conference.
Aggressiveness from both teams on the field appeared quickly after Mustangs defender Helaina Garcia was subbed off the field due to injury after receiving a hard tackle in just the first three minutes of the game.
Delta had most of the shots during the first half, but was unable to get on the scoreboard attempting to open up a tight Sierra defense.
Controversy made an appearance in the game after Sierra was thought to have taken the lead with a goal 25 minutes into the first half, but remained 0-0 after the referee called an offside.
It wasn’t until the second half when the score was opened by Delta forward Kaley Miller following a negative ball pass from forward Alexis Brewah on right field in the 46th minute.
Forward Sabrina Cabrera widened Delta’s lead to two goals after scoring just six minutes later.
Delta continued generating offensive plays and seemed to be inching closer towards a third goal, but the Wolverines narrowed the lead and put the score 2-1 with a goal from Sierra forward Charity Myers in the 75th minute which made for a dramatic final 15 minutes.
Delta closed its defensive line as Sierra pushed forward in search of the equalizer and managed to hold on to the victory.
“We put two away early in the second half. The game could have gone either way, but I really loved our mentality today,” said Delta head coach Adrienne Sorenson. “I was really proud of our players for stepping up and just gutting it out, whatever it took today to get it done.”
Following the win, Delta is currently tied in first place of the Big 8 Conference with Folsom Lake, both possessing a 6-0-1 conference record.
Compared to other points in the season, this week has been the toughest for Delta so far having to face two opponents ranked in the top 10 according to the California Community College Sports Information Association (CCCSIA). Delta remains at the top of the state rankings as the No. 1 seat.
“We’ve had one of the toughest weeks this week of any team, especially of any of the top teams in NorCal,” said Sorenson. “[We] really hardly had any rest from Tuesday to today having to face a fresh Sierra team that didn’t play Tuesday.”
Delta’s head coach also acknowledged her players for the effort they displayed on the field and their ability to confront emotional challenges during crucial moments of the game.
“It’s really important that our players know that being able to still beat that team that’s fresh [Sierra] showed a lot about them and our character,” said Sorenson.
After facing two of the most competitive teams in the state, Delta’s head coach added that her team has learned a lot from these games for what’s to come later in the season.
“These are the games where you grow,” said Sorenson. “I think we were able to learn a lot of things on Tuesday, [and] I think we made some good adjustments from Tuesday to today.”
The Mustangs will face Modesto at home on Sophomore Day for their next game before confronting the Big 8 Conference tournament scheduled to begin next Friday on Nov. 5.