Grimaldo collects 3 assists in 7-2 victory

SBCC scored two goals in the first four minutes on Friday night and continued the offensive onslaught in a 7-2 women's soccer victory over Hancock at La Playa Stadium.

Kaitlyn Crooker had two goals and Sandy Grimaldo had three assists as the second-place Vaqueros (8-3-4, 4-0-3 WSC North) built a 5-1 halftime lead.

Santa Barbara is unbeaten in its last nine games (6-0-3) and trails L.A. Pierce by two points in the WSC North race.

Laura Romero, a freshman from Dos Pueblos High, scored 64 seconds into the game and Michelle Day added a goal at the 3:56 mark on an assist by Astrid Thiel. Emily Erwin, another freshman from Dos Pueblos, scored in the 17th minute to make it 3-0.

Grimaldo headed out a corner kick that Alex Abbott fired into the lower right corner for a 4-0 lead in the 33rd minute. Kaitlin Campbell scored on a breakaway for Hancock in the 40th minute. Crooker took a through ball from Hannah Martin, dribbled around the keeper and scored in the last minute of the first half for a 5-1 advantage.

Crooker also had two goals on Sept. 30 when SBCC opened WSC play with an 8-0 shutout at Hancock. She's scored twice in five games this year.

"We wanted to knock the ball around and keep our intensity high," said coach John Sisterson, who celebrated his birthday on Friday. "I was so pleased for Megan (Lunger). She nearly scored a goal on the first touch of her collegiate career, then she scored on the second touch."

Crooker leads the Vaqueros with 25 points (11 goals, 3 assists) while Grimaldo doubled her assist total to eight and shares the lead in that department with Martin.

The Vaqueros outshot the Bulldogs 35-8, including 20-4 in shots on goal. Sisterson put in seven subs to start the second half.

Lunger, who played volleyball for the Vaqueros last year, tipped in a corner kick by Tavara
achert-Johnson three minutes into the second half. Jennifer Justice scored for Hancock in the 65th minute, then Crooker converted a penalty kick after getting pulled down in the box in the 69th minute.

 It was the first goal of the year for Day, Erwin and Lunger. Goalie Kasey Jensen played all 90 minutes and earned her first college win.

The Vaqueros travel to Oxnard on Tuesday for a 2 p.m. game.