The women’s soccer team, sitting in the 10th seed, defeated the 23rd seed Butte College Roadrunners 6-0 in the first round of the 3C2A Northern California Regional Tournament during a rainy blowout at home on Wednesday.
The Hawks were up 3-0 in the first 10 minutes of the match, with all three goals coming from freshman forward Sadie Stoll. While playing conditions were slick, the Hawks were able to stay poised against a solid Roadrunner team, Stoll said.
“We haven’t played in the rain before, so that was kind of new for us,” Stoll said. “I think we did really good at staying composed and not letting that factor affect us.”
With the pressure that the postseason can bring, scoring early and establishing a lead helped the Hawks ease into the match, head coach Cesar Plasencia said.
“It’s helpful to get that many early goals,” Plasencia said. “We’ve been in some of these games where we’ve been better, but don’t get the early scores, and then it’s a little bit of a grind to the end.”
Defensively, the Hawks allowed zero shots on goal. Taking an early lead helped the Hawks settle in defensively, sophomore goalkeeper Mellanie Chernay said.
“When Sadie scored early, it kind of set the tone,” Chernay said. “I think our coaches put it in perspective for us. This is win or go home.”
The victory lifted the team’s spirits and gave the Hawks good momentum heading into the second round, assistant coach Emmanuel Vega said.
“Morale is in high spirits right now. A big win is always a good thing to start off the playoffs,” Vega said. “Everyone got to get some minutes, so that’s always good.”
Sophomore midfielder Mandy Thao led the Hawks with four assists, adding a goal in the 40th minute. Freshman forward Mia Perez also notched two goals in the second half.
The Hawks will head to Salinas for round two of the 3C2A championships to face the 7th seed Hartnell College Panthers in a rematch from mid-September, ending in a 0-0 draw.
Execution will be vital for the Hawk’s success, Plasencia said.
“They’re a really good team,” Plasencia said. “We’re going to have to be sharp if we want to come home with the win.”