COS and Bakersfield Women's Soccer Battle to 1-1 Draw 

In a tightly contested match on September 13, 2024, the College of the Sequoias and Bakersfield women's soccer teams fought to a 1-1 draw. The Giants struck first with a goal from America Lopez (Exeter HS) in the opening minute, giving them an early lead. Lopez, who had three shots in the match, netted her goal unassisted just 51 seconds into the game. 

"We started off really strong with that early goal, and I'm proud of how America [Lopez] set the tone for us," said CO' head women's soccer coach Brooklyn Morris. "Getting that early momentum was key, but we need to stay locked in for the full 90 minutes." 

Bakersfield responded in the second half when Alexis Juarez, assisted by Emily Vincent, found the back of the net in the 49th minute, leveling the score at 1-1. Bakersfield applied more pressure offensively, outshooting COS12-9 overall, with 7 of Bakersfield's shots on target compared to the Giants' 4. 

Despite Bakersfield's offensive push, COS' goalkeeper Haylie Brasil (Manteca HS) came up big for her team, recording 5 crucial saves in her 90 minutes of play. 

"Our defense held up under pressure, and Haylie [Brasil] was outstanding in goal," Morris commented. "She really stepped up when we needed her. Bakersfield came at us hard in the second half, but Haylie kept us in the game." 

Both teams had chances to break the deadlock, but the defenses held strong. The game ended with each team taking 3 corner kicks. 

"There are definitely some areas we need to improve, especially in terms of keeping possession and creating more chances," Morris noted. "But I'm pleased with the fight the team showed today. We'll take this draw as a lesson and work on being more consistent in our play." 

College of the Sequoias' record now stands at 2-2-1, while Bakersfield moves to 2-1-1 after this hard-fought draw. 

Upcoming Matches 

The Giants was awarded a forfeit win against Porterville College on September 17. They will now put their focus on their next road match, this Friday, September 20, when they travel to take on Fresno City College.  

Looking ahead, Tuesday, September 24, will feature a doubleheader at home, with the women's team taking on Lemoore at 12:00 PM, followed by the men's team facing Consumes River at 2:00 PM. Both matches will be key opportunities for COS to continue building momentum in the season.