The women’s soccer team secured a 2-0 win in their matchup against the Lake Tahoe Community College Coyotes on Tuesday.

The Hawks upheld a long defensive battle, relying on communication and performance to hold off the Coyotes.

Head coach Cesar Plasencia said the team competed at a very high level and is satisfied with the performance of each of the players.

“I think we competed well today, we worked on some things in training and showed up,” Plasencia said. “We could have been sharper in certain places, the team just needs a little more hope in themselves.”

Cosumnes River College set the tone early in the match by persisting into Lake Tahoe’s half and holding their ground. Halfway through the first half, sophomore forward Sadie Stoll scored the Hawks’ first goal of the game.

“I hoped to trigger the girls in a positive way,” Plasencia said. “I really tried to manage our problems, finding out ways to really push them but not too hard. It’s always a challenge.”
In the second half the Hawks lost energy, yet still pushed through by getting their second goal in the 80th minute. Scored by sophomore defender Ellie DePaco and assisted by sophomore forward Mia Perez, CRC spent the rest of the game in a defensive fight against Lake Tahoe.

“I was playing injured, so that was a big challenge. I think also keeping the ball at bay,” Perez said. “The second half is what stood out to me, we were really fighting for that goal.”

The assist marked her first of the season.

Reflecting on the team’s past struggles, sophomore midfielder Isabella Ramos noted that better communication during this game made a difference.

“Communication is something we kind of struggle with, that usually leads to another team scoring,” Ramos said. “But today everyone stepped up and I feel like it helped out how we played on the field.”

In their following game, the Hawks drew 0-0 against Hartnell College on Friday. Their next game is away at the City College of San Francisco on Tuesday.