COD Men’s Soccer is left frustrated by the Olympians, 2-1

COD (4-5-1) had an opportunity to do some damage to a former Conference foe early, but the inability to capitalize on corners and set pieces proved to be the difference as the San Diego mesa Olympians (2-6) stunned the Roadrunners, 2-1.

The Roadrunners took their share of shots, 31 in all, 20 in the second half alone, but even with 13 shots on goal only one would reach the back of the net for the home side.

Desert would get eight corner kicks in the game, four each half, but only one of those corners led to a decent shot on net.

Sophomore goal keeper Uriel Lopez (Palm Desert H.S.) collected his fifth start of the season, playing a brilliant game, even the defense played a very good game, only allowing Lopez to see five total shots on goal of the 14 the Olympians took in the game.

In a rivalry that started in 1982, the Roadrunners have a 9-19-4 record overall against the Olympians, winning 3 of the last 5 match-ups, sweeping Mesa in both home-at-home contests last season.

In the 60th minute, San Diego Mesa busted up the goalless draw and then stunned the home crowd by adding an insurance goal in the 66th minute, to go up 2-0.

Both teams would be told that there was eight minutes of injury time left at the end of the game and the Roadrunners wasted no time in clawing their way back into the game. About a minute in, sophomore forward Alejandro Pimentel (Thermal Desert Mirage) crushed a shot that hit the Olympians keeper right in the chest, coming in so fast the keeper couldn't get his hands up fast enough. Moments later, freshman forward Leyver Guzman (Cathedral City H.S.) found freshman defender Vincenzo Costaglolia (Palm Springs H.S.) right in front of the net and Costaglolia scored his second goal of the season, getting the Roadrunners on the board.

And the Desert offensive assault was on, the atmosphere in the stands was a belief that not only could the Roadrunners tie the game at any moment, but that they could win the game. Freshman midfielder Ezequiel Minero (Desert Hot Springs H.S.) clobbered a shot that clanked off the cross bar and Guzman followed that up with a shot that poked around the keeper, eventually being cleared by an alert Mesa defender.

The next game for Desert is on Tuesday, October 1 at the Antelope Valley Marauders of Lancaster at 5p. College of the Desert has played the Marauders only twice in program history, where the Roadrunners have a 0-1-1 record. The last time Desert travelled to Antelope Valley was in September of 2016, where the Roadrunners tied 2-2. The next home game for Desert is in 18 days, Tuesday, October 15 at 4p, when they open up their new Conference, the Inland Empire Athletic Conference (IEAC), by hosting the Chaffey Panthers of Rancho Cucamonga. The Roadrunners have a 9-13-2 record overall against their former rivals from the Foothill Conference, including a 7-4-1 record in Palm Desert. The last time Desert played the Panthers was in 2015, the last time the Roadrunners defeated Chaffey was in 2013, at home in Palm Desert, 2-1.

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For additional information, please contact the COD Sports Information Office at 760.423.6641.

Information & Story provided by COD Sports Information. Photo by Michael Leone Photography (f8leone@yahoo.com)