12/10/09: Gauchos make all-conference list
Two Saddleback College sophomores earned all-conference honors when the teams were selected last month.
Brittany Flores (Capistrano Valley HS) was selected to the first-team all-conference list while Marissa Pickett (Trabuco Hills HS) was named to the second-team all-conference.
Flores, who transferred in this season after playing her freshman year at Southeastern Louisiana University, led the Gauchos with four goals and two assists despite playing most games as a defensive stopper.
Pickett, a first-team all-conference selection last year as a freshman, was offered second-team status this season after finishing with three goals and four assists.
11/13: Soccer season ends with a tie
 Saddleback and Golden West finished out the 2009 schedule with a 1-1 draw during an Orange Empire Conference women’s soccer match held Friday at Rancho Capistrano school in Mission Viejo.
Saddleback outplayed Golden West offensively but found little luck in finding the net. The Gauchos (2-16-3 overall, 1-13-2 in OEC) had 31 shots on goal compared to just 10 overall shots credited to Golden West of which just five shots were actually on goal. However, the Rustlers (0-18-2, 0-14-2) posted a goal midway through the first half when a shot on goal was knocked away by Saddleback goalkeeper Kat Pegg, but Vanessa Calderon was close enough to toe in the loose ball for the Rustlers.
Saddleback was able to finally answer late in the second half as Brittany Flores flipped the ball over the defense and a charging Rustler goalkeeper, allowing Cheryl Moore (left) to toe in the tying goal with just 14 minutes remaining. It was one of 19 second-half shots taken by the Gauchos.
The season comes to a close for both teams and the tie keeps Saddleback one-half game ahead of Golden West in the conference standings.
11/03: Gauchos drop soccer match, Lasers pull even in Battle for the Irons
The “Battle for the Irons” continued between district rivals Saddleback and Irvine Valley colleges, with IVC winning this battle 2-1 on the Rancho Capistrano fields.
 Saddleback scored first just nine minutes into the contest as Marissa Pickett’s pass was drilled into the back of the net by Madeline Horner to give the Gauchos the early lead. That lead didn’t last long as the Lasers countered one minute later when Lindsay Seeley’s towering kick from about 35 yards out was misplayed by the Saddleback goalkeeper and bounced over her head into the top of the cage to tie the score.
The score remained tied at ones for over 60 minutes with Saddleback (2-15-2, 1-12-1 in OEC) using a ball-control offense to slowly and deliberately set up its offense. Although Saddleback outshot Irvine Valley 12-2 in the second half, the Lasers made one of those two shots count for the game winner. Arabia Ruiz’ shot on goal from near the center of the goal box was deflected by Gaucho goalkeeper Kim Goupille for a save but the ball didn’t roll out of bounds and Ruiz was able to race over near the left post for a second try, finding the net and a 2-1 victory for the Lasers (4-12-2, 2-9-2 in OEC).
Saddleback’s Goupille made two saves while IVC’s Caitlyn Sorich posted nine saves.
The “Battle for the Irons” is a comprehensive challenge between the two schools in every sport they face off against each other. A scoring system of 30 points per sport has been derived for each of the sports where these two colleges will meet, and a trophy bearing the branding irons of the ranches where these two schools sit will be presented to the winning school after the spring sports schedules have concluded. The fall sports of women’s golf, women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball have kicked off the battle, with men’s and women’s basketball just getting underway this week. Saddleback has won all three golf matches to earn 30 points. Irvine Valley won the first volleyball matchup (15 points) and today’s soccer game (15 points) to tie the score. The first soccer game ended in a 1-1 tied (7.5 points to each college), leaving Wednesday night’s volleyball match at Irvine Valley College (worth 15 points) as the deciding contest to break the tie for the fall semester sports.
10/23: Santa Ana defeats Gauchos soccer team
 Santa Ana scored an early first-half goal, then added three more goals in an 11-minute span to blank Saddleback 4-0 in an Orange Empire Conference women's soccer match on Friday.
Amanda Chavez scored on an empty net just 18 minutes into the contest when Saddleback keeper Kat Pegg charged a ball outside of the penalty box but had to play it with her body instead of her hands and didn't clear the ball far enough away from Chavez. The rest of the first half was incident free on both sides of the field with Santa Ana getting four shots away and Saddleback getting three shots.
Chavez was taken down inside the penalty box just five minutes into the second half, giving Santa Ana a penalty kick. Salina Ortiz converted the PK into the lower left corner of the net. Just 10 minutes later, Courtney Crain headed in a corner kick from Ortiz to give Santa Ana a 3-0 lead. One minute later, Crain appeared to be in an offside position behind the Gauchos' defense when she received a pass and raced the rest of the field uncontested before scoring the fourth goal.
Pegg had two second-half saves for the Gauchos. Saddleback's Brittany Flores had a direct free kick deflect off the crossbar which would have tied the game at 1-1.
10/20: Soccer blanked by Cypress
 Saddleback's women's soccer team was shut out by Cypress in a home match on Tuesday, falling 6-0 to the Chargers.
Goalkeeper Kat Pegg (left) recorded 14 saves for the Gauchos, but it wouldn't be enough as the Chargers outshot Saddleback, 28-6. Cypress' Alana Wohlers scored four goals, including all three first-half goals, and Angie Silva had a pair of assists to help Cypress' offensive effort.
10/13: Soccer gets first conference win
 The women's soccer team earned its first conference victory of the season by downing Golden West 3-0 on Tuesday in Huntington Beach.
Brittany Flores (left) had two goals and Madeline Horner added one goal to help shake the monkey off the Gauchos. Goalkeeper Kat Pegg had three saves in the net to record her first shutout of the season.
The Gauchos improved to 1-6-1 in conference play with the victory.
10/9: Gauchos edged at home by Tigers
 Riverside scored late in the second half to break a 1-1 tie and post a 2-1 victory over Saddleback College in a women’s Orange Empire Conference soccer game on Friday afternoon at the Rancho Capistrano field.
There was plenty of offense during the game with both schools getting 12 shots off, and the goals that were scored were far from routine. Riverside (7-1-3 overall, 4-1-2 in OEC) scored first when a ball centered by Danielle Delong was scrambled in front of the Gaucho goal before trickling into the right corner in what may have been an own goal with Lorena Salcedo probably the last Tiger to touch the ball.
Saddleback (1-9-2 overall, 0-6-1 in OEC) answered back early in the second half when Brittany Flores’ direct kick from midfield was misplayed in front of the Tiger goal, caromed off the ankle of a Gaucho forward, and was finally punched in by Alyssa Sivongsay (pictured) to tie the score at 1-1. Both teams put up a barrage of shots in the second with few getting close to the net. However, a Tiger pass into the Saddleback defense was brushed away by goalkeeper Kat Pegg who got a piece of the ball but not all of it, allowing Riverside forward Reosha Campbell to chase down the loose ball and bounce it past a defender into an empty net.
9/29: Gauchos drop two more
 Orange Coast's Kallie Ryker notched a hat trick, scoring all three of her team’s goals as the Orange Coast College women’s soccer team defeated Saddleback College, 3-0, on Tuesday in Orange Empire Conference action.
Although Saddleback held offensive control for the early part of the first half, Ryker’s first goal came in the 39th minute as Orange Coast started to gain offensive momentum. The Pirates maintained offensive possession for the opening minutes of the second half with Ryker scoring again just four minutes into the period. She added a third goal 20 minutes later on an assist from Taryn Baker to account for the hat trick.
Saddleback’s Kim Goupille made six saves in the first half and ended with nine saves in the game. Orange Coast’s Rachel Gist filled in at goalkeeper for the Pirates and finished with six saves. Saddleback defender Emily Dinsmore is pictured to the left.
The Gauchos fell to Fullerton by a 4-1 count last Friday (Sept. 25).
9/22: Soccer struggles continue
 Saddleback's soccer struggles continued as the Gauchos fell 2-1 to Santa Ana on Tuesday, dropping to 0-3 in Orange Empire Conference play.
After playing to a scoreless draw in the first half, the Gauchos gave up a pair of goals to Santa Ana early in the second half and then closed the gap with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game as Brittany Flores (pictured) scored an unassisted goal. But the Gauchos, who had eight shots on goal, were not able to convert any more attempts and fell to the Lady Dons.
Saddleback goalkeeper Kim Goupille had four saves in keeping Santa Ana scoreless in the first half. Kat Pegg played the second half and recorded three saves.
The Gauchos have a pair of home games coming up on the schedule, hosting Fullerton on Friday (Sept. 25) and Orange Coast on Tuesday (Sept. 29). Both matches begin at 3:00 p.m.
9/15: Soccer falls in conference opener
 The Gauchos fell at home to Santiago Canyon, 5-0, in the Orange Empire Conference opener for both colleges.
The Hawks won a battle in front of the Saddleback net to score the game's first goal just 16 minutes into the contest and added a second goal four minutes later to take a 2-0 lead. They added another goal later in the half to take a 3-0 advantage into halftime.
Saddleback goalkeeper Kim Goupille posted eight saves in the first half and added six more in the second half before colliding with a Hawk attacker late in the second half, leaving the field under her own power with about four minutes remaining in the contest. Kat Pegg wrapped up the game in goal for the Gauchos.
Santiago Canyon used offensive pressure to its advantage and outshot Saddleback 22-2 in the contest. Both of Saddleback's attempts came on direct free kicks just outside the Hawk penalty box.
9/9: Soccer notches first victory of the season
 The Saddleback women's soccer team posted its first victory of the season by beating San Diego City College, 1-0.
After a scoreless first half, Saddleback's Marissa Pickett (pictured) was able to find the net on a pass from Jackie Csira to account for the game's only score. Saddleback goalkeepers needed to make only three saves during the game whereas the two SDCC goalkeepers recorded 11 saves in the contest.
Saddleback starts Orange Empire Conference play on Tuesday, Sept. 15, when it hosts Santiago Canyon at Rancho Capistrano school starting at 3:00 p.m.
9/4: Gauchos snap early-season skid
It wasn't quite a win, but the Saddleback women's soccer team snapped a two-game losing skid by posting a 1-1 tie against Evergreen College of San Jose in a neutral-site game played at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo.
Trailing Evergreen 1-0 at the half, Saddleback tied the score in the second half as freshman Arriel Varela found the back of the net and the two teams continued playing to a draw. Gaucho goalkeeper Rachel Miles posted three saves.
Saddleback (0-2-1) will play Diablo Valley on Saturday before returning home.
8/28: Gauchos drop first two games
 Saddleback dropped a 3-1 decision to visiting San Diego Mesa in the team's first home game of the season on Friday, falling to 0-2 early in the season.
Brittany Flores scored on a free kick from just outside the penalty box in the 89th minute to give the Gauchos their first goal of the season but it would be too late against an Olympian team which outshot the Gauchos, 20-6. San Diego Mesa scored within the first three minutes of the game to jump out to a 1-0 lead, added a second goal in the 45th minute right before the halftime whistle blew, and then added a third goal within the first three minutes of the second half to take a 3-0 lead. Saddleback's defense helped to thwart several other scoring opportunities and goalkeeper Rachel Miles posted nine saves for the Gauchos.
In the season opener at Long Beach City College on Thursday, Saddleback dropped a 3-0 decision to the Vikings. Miles had four saves in the first half and Kim Goupille added five saves in the second half for the Gauchos.
Women’s soccer schedule finalized
 The women’s soccer team is ready to roll in 2009 and looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2008 campaign. The Gaucho schedule has been finalized and all-conference sophomore Marissa Pickett will lead the charge, starting in late August.
The Gauchos will open the season at home against San Diego Mesa College on August 27 at 3:00 PM and has four games on the pre-conference schedule. A pair of games against Northern California programs Evergreen College and Diablo Valley College will highlight a trip to Cuesta College the first week in September.
Saddleback heads into the season with high expectations as they return all-conference midfielder Marissa Pickett. Pickett was a First Team All-Orange Empire Conference selection after scoring three goals and seven assists during the 2008 campaign.
“We are looking good so far,” head coach Brandee Craig said. “Marissa Pickett is back and we have a solid group of freshmen coming in that should help us out.”
Saddleback will start Orange Empire Conference (OEC) play on September 15 when host perennial power Santiago Canyon College at 3:00 PM. Santiago Canyon along with Cypress College are a part of a rugged conference that has won four of the past 11 state titles and appeared in the championship game nine times over that span.
Click here to see the entire 2009 women’s soccer schedule.
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