Roadrunners Edge Chaffey in 4-3 Thriller

The College of the Desert men's soccer team grabbed a hard-fought upset victory over Chaffey College on Tuesday, defeating the Panthers of Rancho Cucamonga, 4-3.

COD (4-8-5; 3-2-1) battled from start to finish, taking a 1-1 tie into halftime before exploding for two quick goals early in the second half and holding off a late Chaffey push to secure the win.

The two programs first met in 2002, and every matchup has been tightly contested. The Panthers hold a narrow edge in the all-time series, 17-15-3, but the Roadrunners have enjoyed home-field success with a 10-6-2 record in Palm Desert.

Chaffey opened the scoring in the 19th minute, but the Roadrunners wasted no time responding. Just 90 seconds later, freshman defender Sergio Gomez-Bustos (Indio Shadow Hills) sent a perfect pass to sophomore defender Christian Rojas Velez (Rancho Mirage H.S.), who buried his second goal of the season to even the score at 1-1, a tie that held through halftime.

COD came out firing after the break. In the 49th minute, sophomore midfielder Arturo Silva (Thermal Desert Mirage) threaded a through ball to sophomore defender Jeffrey Vazquez (Thermal Desert Mirage), who netted his fourth goal of the year to give the Roadrunners a 2-1 lead. Less than two minutes later, freshman forward Jonathan Price (La Quinta H.S.) set up sophomore midfielder Hector Baltierra (La Quinta H.S.) for his team-leading eighth goal, extending the advantage to 3-1.

Chaffey cut the lead to one in the 58th minute, but a costly penalty in the box moments later gave COD a chance to strike back. Sophomore forward Isai Gil (Beaumont H.S.) calmly converted the penalty kick for his fifth goal of the season, the eventual game-winner.

Sophomore goalkeeper Angel Ayon-Melendez (Indio Shadow Hills) was tested all afternoon, facing 17 shots, 11 in the second half alone, and making three crucial saves to preserve the victory.

The Roadrunners now hit the road to face San Bernardino Valley this Friday, before returning home on Tuesday, October 28, for a crucial late-season matchup against the Norco Mustangs. Kickoff at Hovley Soccer Park in Palm Desert is set for 11:30 a.m.

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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 Darbie Catalfamo Photography.