Vaqueros hand Santa Monica first loss, 2-1

SBCC scored two goals in the first 21 minutes on Tuesday and then weathered a second-half onslaught to defeat Santa Monica 2-1 in a women's soccer match at La Playa Stadium.

The Corsairs entered the nonconference game with some gaudy numbers – a 4-0 record, ranked No. 9 in the state and a 21-1 goal differential. The 19th-ranked Vaqueros (2-1-1) have won 15 straight home games and 22 of their last 23.

Isabella Viana had a foot on both goals. The sophomore forward took a pass from Matilda Cassel Ledin and blasted in a 30-yard shot at 10:31 for her team-leading sixth goal. At 20:32, Viana dribbled around a defender, then hit a short cross to Riley Moore, who tallied her second goal for a 2-0 lead.

Santa Monica had four shots in the first half, when they trailed 2-0, and 13 in the second half. Eight of those 13 were on-goal and SBCC's Holly Telliard saved seven of them, diving or leaping to stop a couple of shots. Telliard had a career-high 10 saves.

The Corsairs cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 68th minute. Antoinette Saldana lofted a 35-yard free kick and Telliard punched it out about five feet. The ball caromed off a Vaquero defender and over the line. Maryam Pierce was credited with the goal since she was the closest Corsair to the ball.

"I think the sun was in Holly's eyes on that shot," said SBCC coach John Sisterson. "We were struggling a little on defense and Holly really saved the game."

The Corsairs outshot the Vaqueros 17-14 with 11 shots on-goal. Cierra Little hit the crossbar in the 49th minute and a shot by Saldana bounced off the right post in the 82nd minute.

"They were pretty confident on the ball and knew what to do to get through our defenders," said Telliard, who allowed just six goals in 23 games last year. "We've had a couple of injuries and we're still working out the nicks in the back.

"It definitely got my nerves up in the second half. I thought they might tie it up at some point but we held them off. I'm proud of my girls. I think this will give us a lot of confidence for the rest of the year."

Nicole Van Sickle, who played high school soccer with Telliard at Steele Canyon High in San Diego, returned from injury and played her first game of the year at defender.

"We did well in the first half and then we lost our way in the second half," said Sisterson. "I don't know if we got complacent or it was just Santa Monica getting very aggressive. They hit the bar and the post and we had two clean chances toward the end. If we had converted one of those, we would have run it out comfortably. When they scored, it gave them the momentum."

SBCC didn't have a shot on-goal in the second half until the 81st minute when keeper Yosemite Cruz saved a leaping back-heel try by Viana. Viana had two more solid chances in the 82nd and 84th minutes but couldn't get her shots on frame. Lourdes Marin-Rodriguez found herself alone about 10 yards out at 86:40 but shot it right into Cruz's hands.

The Vaqueros will play four of their next five on the road, starting with a four-hour trek to Clovis on Friday at 3 p.m.