Long Beach City College's women's soccer team rallied from an early deficit to win an unprecedented third successive California state JC title, beating archrival Cypress College, 2-1, Sunday at the COA Championships in Lemoore, Calif.
Santa Rosa Junior College netted three goals in eight minutes to overcome a two-goal deficit and top Fresno City College, 3-2, for its second straight state title in the men's final at the Oliveira Sports Complex.
California junior colleges do not compete in NJCAA national competition. Yavapai College of Prescott, Ariz. (Division I) and Richland College of Dallas (Division III) won NJCAA men's titles last month; Community College of Rhode Island, based in Warwick, captured the NJCAA women's crown.
Ana Coria knocked home a loose ball during a goalmouth scramble in the 86th minute to lift Long Beach City (24-0-1), ranked second nationally to CCRI, to its fourth state crown in six years.
Cypress (24-1-1), ranked third, dominated the game and outshot the Vikings, 24-8. Jessica Chase fired the Chargers ahead in the eighth minute, but Kim Jents netted the equalizer in the 29th.
LBCC goalkeeper Ashley DeAlejandro was selected tournament MVP after making 11 saves, some brilliant, in the final.
Daniel Howard, David Briceno and Sean Hulme tallied in an eight-minute span midway through the second half to lead Santa Rosa (22-1-2), the No. 4 Division III (non-scholarship) team in the nation in the latest NSCAA poll, back from a 2-0 first-half deficit. Tim McKinney scored in the second and 39th minutes for sixth-ranked Fresno (22-3-3).
The Bear Cubs struck in the 62nd (Howard) and 67th (Briceno) minutes off free kicks taken by Gerard Aterado. Hulme scored the winner after a Fresno giveaway in the 70th minute.
Aterado and Howard shared MVP honors.