No. 9 Vaqueros tie No. 16 Santa Monica 0-0, stay in 1st place

No. 9 SBCC played to a 0-0 draw on a hot Tuesday afternoon at No. 16 Santa Monica and remained in first place in the WSC North men's soccer race.

The Vaqueros, ranked No. 7 in the nation, outshot the Corsairs 14-11. SBCC stayed unbeaten at 10-0-4 and remained atop the conference standings after the first round with a 4-0-1 record and 13 points. Santa Monica is 11-1-4 and 3-0-2 with 11 points.

It was the second straight shutout and seventh of the year for goalie Shane Pitcock and the defense. The victory vaulted Santa Barbara up to fifth in the state power points.

The thermometer hit 100 degrees in Santa Monica.

"We controlled the tempo and possession," said Vaquero assistant coach Dylan Murphy. "They played more of a counter-attacking style. We had several good scoring chances by Ameyawu Muntari and Sonny Boyoko, who hit the crossbar in the 60th minute."

Murphy praised the defensive effort of Hudson Handel, a freshman from Nordhoff High, and the midfield play of Nathan Hundley, a freshman from Australia.

The Vaqueros will open the second round of WSC North play on Friday night, hosting Hancock at 7 p.m. It's "Trunk or Treat" night, sponsored by the SBCC Athletic Department, and it will take place in the La Playa Stadium parking lot from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Children 13 and under can "Trick or Treat" at decorated cars and it's all free. Costumed youngsters will get in free to the soccer match.