11/23/10: Soccer coach to head up sophomore showcase
 Saddleback head soccer coach Brandee Craig has been selected to coach the South squad in the 2010 Sophomore Bowl which will be played on Saturday, December 4, at College of the Canyons starting at 1:00 p.m.
Craig, who was chosen as the Orange Empire Conference Coach of the Year, will guide the South team against a similar team of sophomores representing Northern California in the annual game played on the off day at the soccer state championship tournament held on the Canyons campus.
The Sophomore Bowl teams are a collection of the first-team all-conference players in each region who have used their sophomore year of eligibility in 2010 and are eligible to transfer in the fall. There are 49 sophomores from Southern California expected to play in the showcase event and over 40 four-year coaches to be in attendance to scout.
11/16/10:
Four Gauchos and a coach named All-OEC
 The Saddleback women’s soccer team may not have qualified for the post-season but it didn’t stop the coaches from recognizing their talents on the pitch. The Gauchos had four players make the All-Orange Empire Conference team and head coach Brandee Craig was named conference coach-of-the-year.
Saddleback entered the season with one of the youngest teams in the state and at the end of the day, finished the season two games above .500 at 11-9-1. Leading scorer Kaelyn Kaichi (pictured left) along with Bailey Marquez were recognized as first team all conference while Jesse Good-Man and Valerie Hlozek earned second team honors when the coach’s announced the all conference squad on Monday.
 Kaichi led the Gauchos with 12 goals on the season, scoring eight times in conference play. Marquez finished third on the team with six goals on the season, finishing just behind Hlozek, who led the team with six assists while finding the beck of the net seven times. Good-Man was stellar in the defensive end all season, as Saddleback allowed opponents two-or-less goals in all but four games for the season.
Head Coach Brandee Craig (pictured right) received the coach-of-the-year honor after leading a Saddleback team with just two sophomores to a fifth place finish in one of the toughest conferences in the state.
“I am proud of all of our women,” Craig said. “We have a fine nucleus of young players that made some noise as freshmen. It should give us a good jump start on having a big season in 2011.”
"I would also like to give credit to my assistant coach (Benoit David) for all his hard work this season," Craig said. "Without his help, I would have never been able to win this award."
11/09/10: Gauchos blank Irvine Valley
 The Saddleback women's soccer team played its final home game of the season under the lights on a frigid evening at JSerra High School, blanking district rival Irvine Valley College 2-0.
Saddleback broke a scoreless tie just before halftime as Kaelyn Kaichi was able to find the net off of a pass from Mia Trimino. The Gauchos, who dominated the offensive side of the field in the second half, added a second goal at the 68-minute mark when Bailey Marquez scored on a pass from Valerie Hlozek.
Saddleback outshot the Lasers 17-1 in the second half. Irvine Valley goalkeeper Denise Lares posted all nine of her saves in the second half. Saddleback’s Kristen Egner made one save in each half to post the shutout.
The Gauchos will finish the season on Friday, November 12, at Santiago Canyon. Game time is 3:00 p.m.
11/05/10: Soccer defeats Golden West
 Kaelyn Kaichi scored two first-half goals to lead Saddleback to a 4-1 victory over Golden West College in an Orange Empire Conference women’s soccer match on Friday.
Kaichi scored just eight minutes into the contest on a pass from Devyn Higgins and added another goal 31 minutes into the contest when defender Lindsey Doncost cleared a ball deep in Saddleback territory that sailed over the Golden West defense. Kaichi collected the ball in the Rustlers’ half of the field and then beat the goalkeeper. Kaichi also had a breakaway goal negated in the first half when it was ruled that she interfered with the goalkeeper who appeared to be bobbling the ball. She had another breakaway in the second half when the goalkeeper lunged but missed the ball. However, the angle was too severe and Kaichi’s shot hit the outside of an empty net.
Casey Zeffiro and Diana Kim added second half goals for the Gauchos before Golden West got on the board with six minutes remaining when Christine Thiebert’s direct free kick from the right side of the penalty box was knocked into the net by Caitlin Underwood.
10/29/10: Soccer suppressed by Cypress
 Saddleback's overall effort was solid but the Gauchos had no luck finding the net in a 2-0 loss to Cypress on Friday afternoon.
Cypress'
Jacqueline Lara scored early in the first half to give Cypress a 1-0 advantage, then added a second goal about 20 minutes into the second half on a ball that a teammate shot but hit the right post. The ball caromed right to Lara who was able to roll in a second goal.
Saddleback tried to rally, drawing a penalty kick at the 76-minute mark. But the ensuing penalty kick rolled just outside the right post and Cypress was able to
preserve the shutout.
10/22/10: Soccer gets shutout over Riverside
 Saddleback (9-5-1, 5-5-0) took over fourth place in the Orange Empire Conference standings, trading places with Riverside (5-7-2, 4-4-2) following a 2-0 shutout over the Tigers Friday afternoon on the artificial turf at JSerra High School in San Juan Capistrano.
The match was scoreless for most of the first half until Valerie Hlozek drew a foul inside the penalty area at the 43-minute mark. Diana Kim converted the penalty kick to give Saddleback a 1-0 lead heading into the intermission.
The teams battled for nearly 30 minutes in the second half until Mia Trimino made a run into the left corner of the field and centered a ball that found Kaelyn Kaichi open about eight yards out in front of the right post for the Gauchos’ second goal. Saddleback keeper Kristen Egner was credited with six saves in the contest, including five in the second half. Riverside keeper Kayla Cates stopped four Saddleback shots.
10/15/10: Gauchos drop tight contest to Pirates
 Saddleback dropped a 2-1 decision to visiting Orange Coast on Friday afternoon at JSerra High School, unable to generate enough decent scoring opportunities.
Despite being outshot by the Pirates 9-2 in the first half, Saddleback enjoyed a 1-1 tied at the intermission. The game was scoreless until the 42nd minute when Orange Coast booted a ball from midfield that bounced over Saddleback's fullbacks, was collected and popped over the head of Gaucho keeper Kristin Egner. But the Gauchos answered just two minutes later on a corner kick that sailed to the far side of the goal box, carromed off several boots, then squirted in front of Brittney Pesch (pictured) who buried it into the net for the tying goal.
Orange Coast would score the eventual winning goal just six minutes into the second half on a breakaway by OCC's Taryn Bales. The Pirates outshot Saddleback 14-4 in the game. Egner posted eight saves for the Gauchos.
The Gauchos fall to 8-5-1 on the season and 4-5 in conference play. Saddleback will host Riverside on Friday, October 22, at 3:00 p.m.
10/12/10: Winning streak snapped by Hawks
 Saddleback's three-game winning streak was stopped by Orange Empire Conference-leading Santiago Canyon College, 3-0, on Tuesday night under the lights at JSerra High School.
The fast-paced and physical match was tied 0-0 at halftime but the Hawks went on a 20-minute scoring barrage in the second half to pull out the victory and remain undefeated. Valerie Barrios scored just three minutes into the second half and Bri Lopez added a pair of goals within a six minute span. Saddleback's Bailey Marquez had a pair of scoring opportunities during the same span after breaking through a stingy Santiago Canyon defense, but both attempts missed their mark.
Keeper Kristen Egner (pictured) posted eight saves for the Gauchos (8-4-1, 4-4 in OEC).
Saddleback will try to get back on the winning wagon when the Gauchos host Orange Coast on Friday at 3:00 p.m.
10/11/10: Women’s soccer still rolling after 3-0 win
 The Saddleback women’s soccer team is back on a roll after posting a 3-0 win over Irvine Valley College on Friday. The Gauchos have now won three straight and will take on power Santiago Canyon College on Tuesday.
Saddleback received two first-half goals from Valerie Hlozek (pictured) as the Gauchos sprinted out to a 2-0 lead at the intermission. Britney Pesch scored the third goal for Saddleback in the second half as the Gauchos recorded their sixth shutout of the season. Kristen Egner was solid in the nets, recording six saves.
Saddleback improved to 8-3-1 on the season and for the first time climbed above .500 in Orange Empire Conference play at 4-3. The Gauchos are now in sole possession of fourth place following a Riverside College loss to Orange Coast College on Friday. The Tigers trail Saddleback by one point in the standings.
Saddleback will play conference power Santiago Canyon on Tuesday. The Hawks have the No. 2 power ranking in Southern California and are 10-0-1 on the season, outscoring opponents 25-3.
Game time is set for 6:00 PM at JSerra High School.
10/6/10: Women’s soccer wins second straight OEC match
 After a rough patch a few weeks back, the Saddleback women’s soccer team has fought back with two straight wins in Orange Empire Conference play. The latest was a 4-2 win over Golden West on Tuesday.
Saddleback had two goals from freshman Mia Trimino (pictured), scoring four goals for the first time since September 10. The Gauchos also received goals from Kaelyn Kaichi and Bailey Marquez as goalkeepers Kristen Egner and Megan Black combined for eight saves.
Saddleback improved to 7-3-1 overall on the season and 3-3 in Orange Empire Conference play. They are currently in fifth place in OEC play, two points behind Riverside College in the standings.
The Gauchos will play again on Friday at cross-town rival Irvine Valley College at 3:00 PM. The Lasers are 3-7-0 on the season and in eighth place in the OEC.
10/1/10: Gauchos blank Santa Ana in soccer
 Saddleback posted a 3-0 victory over Santa Ana College during an Orange Empire Conference contest Friday afternoon at JSerra High School.
As has been the team's calling card this season, an early goal dictated how the team could play the rest of the game. Just 12 minutes into the contest, Brittney Pesch's short pass to Kaelyn Kaichi found Kaichi in stride as she broke from the left side of the midfield toward the goal. Kaichi used a little bit of fancy footwork to evade a sliding defender before catching the back of the net. The score remained 1-0 for the rest of the half.
The Gauchos were told by head coach Brandee Craig not to get complacent and that the second half would be twice as physical as the first half. In a sense, she was correct. But the Gauchos would add a goal just five minutes into the second period to build a little cushion and then relied on some solid defense to turn Santa Ana away. Victoria French's pass into the goal box was headed toward teammate Bailey Marquez (pictured), but Marquez had overrun the line of the ball and it would pass behind both her and the Don defender. Marquez used her heel in a donkey kick to redirect the ball into the goal.
Diana Kim would add a third goal on a penalty kick with just five minutes remaining in the contest after Marquez was taken down in the penalty area by a Santa Ana defender.
Goalkeeper Kristin Egner added five saves for the Gauchos.
9/24/10: Soccer scores early in blanking of Hornets
 Saddleback’s quick-strike offense put up a goal in just the third minute of the game and the Gauchos added a second goal midway through the first half on the way to a 3-0 shutout over Fullerton on Friday.
Victoria French scored on a cross from Casey Zeffiro (pictured at right) at the :03 mark and the Gauchos settled into their game plan, controlling the ball and the tempo for most of the game. Kaelyn Kaichi added a goal at the 21-minute mark off of a pass from Valerie Hlozek to add to the lead.
Saddleback (5-2-1, 1-2 in OEC) outshot Fullerton (1-6-1, 1-3), 14-6, in the game. It appeared that the Gauchos would add two more goals if it were not for a pair of solid defense efforts by the Fullerton defense.
Zeffiro would add a goal of her own midway through the second half on a nice cross from Diana Kim to account for the final tally.
Kristen Egner (pictured at left) had four saves for the Gauchos, including this one from point-blank range.
9/13/10: Historic start has women’s soccer ready for OEC play
The Saddleback women’s soccer team is off to its best start in program history with a 4-0-1 record heading into conference play on Tuesday. The Gauchos have outscored opponents 15-3 and will take on Orange Coast College on Tuesday to open Orange Empire Conference play.
Saddleback enters OEC play having scored three or more goals in three contests, something they did only one time a year ago. The 15 goals to start the season equals the number of goals scored all last season.
“We know we have our work cut out for us once we get into conference play,” head coach Brandee Craig said. “The only thing we are thinking about right now is Orange Coast on Tuesday.”
The Orange Empire Conference is considered one of the power conferences in the state, as programs from the conference have won three of the past six state titles and five championships in the past 11 seasons.
Saddleback’s latest win was a 5-2 win over Mira Costa College on Friday afternoon. The Gauchos trailed for the first time ever when MCC scored early, only to break out with four second-half goals, including two from forward Kaelyn Kaichi (pictured), to power past the Spartans.
“We kind of came out flat,” Craig said. “After they took the lead, it kind of woke us up.”
Game time Tuesday is set for 3:00 PM at Orange Coast College. The 4-0-1 start betters the previous-best mark of 4-1-0 back in 2004.
9/8/10: Women’s soccer still undefeated
The Saddleback women’s soccer team remained undefeated after beating San Diego Mesa College 1-0 on Tuesday. The Gauchos scored in the fourth minute of the game and held on for the narrow victory.
Kaelyn Kaichi scored just four minutes into the game when she tipped in a cross by Valerie Hlozek to get the Gauchos off to a great start. The freshman combination from Tesoro High School would be all Saddleback would need, holding off a Mesa program that finished 17-4 last season, including a 3-1 win over the Gauchos in the home-opener.
“We haven’t beat Mesa in a long time and it was a huge test,” head coach Brandee Craig said. “I am very proud of the entire team today.”
Saddleback received another stellar performance from a Tesoro grad as goalkeeper Kristen Egner finished with seven saves in net, including a couple of big saves. Eigner stopped Jocelyn Seaman on a breakaway in the sixth minute and had a couple more scrambling saves to preserve the win.
Saddleback now sits at 3-0-1 on the season and has only surrendered one goal on defense for the entire season. Mesa fell to 1-2 on the season with the loss.
Saddleback will play its first home game of the season at JSerra High School on Friday when they host Mira Costa College at 3:00 PM.
9/4/10: Women’s soccer off to a hot start
The Saddleback women’s soccer team is wasting no time in shrugging of a bad season a year ago as they have yet to lose after three games during the 2010 campaign. The Gauchos finished 1-0-1 over the weekend up at Cuesta College and already have as many wins as a year ago.
Saddleback entered the Cuesta Tournament at 1-0 but really had no idea where they stood after beating an overmatched San Diego City program in the opener. They found out a little more about themselves on Friday and Saturday when they tied Taft College 1-1 and followed it up with a 3-0 win over host Cuesta on Saturday.
Despite the 1-1 outcome in the game against Taft, the Gauchos outplayed the Cougars badly, holding a 15-3 advantage in shots. Saddleback scored in the first two minutes of the game (Valerie Hlozek) but was unable to connect the rest of the way, eventually surrendering the tying goal in the 80th minute.
The Gauchos then struck back on Saturday against Cuesta, as Hlozek scored two more times in a rout of the home Cougars. The game was scoreless until the second half when Saddleback found the back of the net three times.
The Gauchos are now 2-0-1 to start the season, equaling the number of wins from a year ago. They have already scored three or more goals twice, which they only did one time in 2009.
Saddleback will play again on Tuesday at San Diego Mesa College at 6:00 PM. The Gauchos lost to Mesa in the season-opener in 2009, 3-0.
8/27/10: Gauchos open season with win over Knights
The Saddleback women's soccer team opened up the 2010 campaign with a solid 5-0 blanking of the San Diego City College Knights on Friday in San Diego.
After Kaelyn Kaichi scored the first goal of the season just 15 minutes into the contest,
Valerie Hlozek scored both of her goals in the first half to give the Gauchos a 3-0 lead at the intermission. Hlozek's second goal came on a header off the cross by Rachel Miles just about three minutes before the halftime break.
Victoria French and Brie Carter added second-half goals to account for the final score. Phaedra Lujano was credited with two assists.
8/25/10: Women’s soccer to open season on Friday
 The first game of the season is on its way as the women’s soccer team opens the 2010 campaign with a game at San Diego City College on Friday. The Gauchos are looking to rebound after a disappointing 2009.
Saddleback finished with just a pair of wins a season ago and this season is looking for a turnaround, starting with San Diego City on Friday.
“We are really looking forward to seeing what we have,” Head Coach Brandee Craig said. “It has looked good in practice, but you never really know what you have until you get into a game situation.”
Craig welcomes back two players from the 2009 squad in Lindsey Doncost and Rachel Miles. The rest of the team is mostly comprised of freshmen from the area.
“I am really encouraged so far by some of the younger talent on the team,” Craig said. “We may be young, but many of them are ahead of the curve.”
Game time is set for 3:00 PM at City College in San Diego.
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