Walnut, CA.
The Cuyamaca College Coyotes walked into the Mt. San Antonio College West Soccer Stadium minutes away from the final test to conclude a magical season victorious or relegated to the shadow as the understudy to the juggernaut that is El Camino College.
Cuyamaca would start down three key players, casualties of events past and the toll paid victories to get to the California Community College's state championships. Forward Marco Santillan was out with a broken collarbone and, goalkeeper extraordinaire, Pablo Torres additionally would not defend after confirmation that he had succumbed to a broken bone in his wrist. Both players were injured in the thrilling defeat against the #1 NorCal seed, Santa Rosa College on Friday night. The third key player out for the match would be Abel De Loera was collected two yellow cards against the Bear Cubs and by rule would be disqualified for the next contest, in this case the final match and state finals.
Down three key players and going against the state #1 seeded team, the Coyotes would need another herculean effort to take down a team that have allowed only eleven points scored against them all season while scoring one hundred nine points in offense. However, the Cuyamaca men were ready for the task despite the mountain needed to climb to claim the title.
Head Coach Brian Hiatt-Aleu had prepared his team composed mostly of freshman well. In either final scenario, the season is bright for Cuyamaca for the seasons to come. However, for now, the next ninety minutes was the focus.
El Camino came out hard and fast. Their dribbling was a cut above what the Coyotes have come accustomed to seeing, yet the Cuyamaca men were not rattled. The first fifteen minutes was a battle of equal strengths and for a time, it looked that the impossible run of the Coyotes may yet again be in the making. However, ECC struck with a lighting shot pass Cuyamaca goalkeeper Mario Lefon from the 18-yard line after a foul was levied against the Coyotes. The ECC Warriors were on the board first 1-0. Eight minutes later, the Warriors scored a header into the box to go up 2-0, which score remained going into the half.
At the start of the second half, the Cuyamaca Coyotes made their adjustments but those movements were not enough as the Warriors scored a quick goal in the first five-minutes of the second half to extend their lead 3-0. The next twenty-eight minutes resumed a battle of wills for both teams. The Coyotes increased their shot on goals in the second half but the El Camino goalkeeper was phenomenal. At the conclusion of the game, the Warriors outshot the Coyotes 16-7.
The final goal of the game was scored in the seventy-eight minute by ECC pushing the score to 4-0 and what would conclude as the final score to win the 3C2A 2023 Men's Soccer state title.
While the defeat surely stung the Coyote men, their remarkable run at the title will go down in school history. The 2023 Men's Soccer team was school's first team reach a state title match and as mentioned previously, the team composed of twenty-four freshman and seven sophomores will bode well for the future of Cuyamaca Men's Soccer.
The Coyotes end their season with a 17-6-3 record and finish the #2 team (runner-up) in the state. Their home record was a remarkable 10-0-2.
