Author: Kim Petrie
Found in section: Sports
Jesse Sorteberg possesses the ball in the second half and presses it forward.
On Saturday, October 31, loyal fans flocked to the Bellevue College soccer field. The roaring winds and biting cold were a small price to pay for a double BC victory.
Facing off against the Tacoma Community College Titans, the women’s team took the field first. Quickly helping to display the team’s prowess, BC freshman Jaclyn Smith claimed the first goal no more than five minutes in.
A foul was called on the opposition in the box, resulting in a Bulldog penalty kick. The Bulldogs seized the advantageous opportunity and managed to place another point on the scoreboard, thanks to freshman Brittney Conway. Only a few minutes remained in the first half, and Bellevue was intent on making use of every last second.
BC’s Kayla Kasper earned her team a third point with a well-placed shot to the far right side of the goal. Halftime was called with BC leading 3-0.
The weather became increasingly unforgiving, but neither team showed any signs of weakness.
Sophomore goal keeper Kristina Myles had an impressive performance with save after save in the second half, as the Titans came full force. Myles’ efforts, combined with the strong Bulldog defense, prevented Tacoma from scoring even a single goal.
Myles sustained a minor injury as the game clock wound down, but she was able to pull it together and play through. In the end, it was a 3-0 BC shutout.
Men win 3-1 over Titans
Not to be lost in the shuffle, the BC men’s team took the field, eager for a win as well. Freshman Riccardo Di Julio said the team was especially intent on winning because of the loss they suffered to Tacoma two weeks prior.
Showing that revenge is a dish best served cold and the Bulldogs dominated the competition. After a mere three minutes of play, Diego Robayo scored the first goal with an assist from Luigi Montero. Minutes later, Radcliff McDougald earned BC a second point, assisted by Conner Moe.Tacoma had yet to score.
The Titans quickly responded as Eugene Gilley brought in Tacoma’s first, and what would be only, goal.
Montero claimed Bellevue’s third and final goal. Immediately after, Montero and Di Julio ran off the field to take a seat in the Bellevue stands in celebration, narrowly escaping yellow cards as the referee demanded they return to the field.
After several displays of unsportsmanlike behavior, Gilley, Tacoma’s only goal scoring team member, was issued a red card and ejected from the remainder of the game. Making the majority of the goal attempts, yet racking up the most penalties, Gilley seemed to be the only notable Tacoma player.
When asked if the performance of any BC player particularly stood out, Di Julio said he genuinely felt the entire team played well, deserved the win, and did not depend on one player more than any of the others.
Post-victory, Di Julio talked about Tacoma’s performance. “They were a physically good team. They played strong, but we were more talented,” said Di Julio.
Currently, the men’s team resides in first place in the West division and is looking forward to a position in the playoffs.
With the regular season coming to a close, the Bulldogs will return to their home field Saturday, November 7, to take on the Olympic Community College Rangers. Postseason games are scheduled for Wednesday November 11 and Saturday November 14. Times and locations are not yet set.
