Approaching the end of the season, the Vaqueros were looking to end off strong. They hosted the Antelope Valley Marauders. Unfortunately for the Vaqueros, this particular game was anything but strong. The Marauders came into Glendale and dominated the soccer field, crushing Vaquero morale. 

GCC started the game with the momentum behind them. They played strong, cohesive and smart, having some defensive plays against the Marauders. However, cracks began to show in the Vaquero defense that the Marauders looked to exploit. Twenty minutes into the half, Antelope Valley managed to score the first goal of the game. Jeremy Masrour got the ball rolling for Antelope Valley. GCC needed to respond soon as they couldn’t afford to let Antelope Valley stretch a lead. Luckily, a penalty kick came their way but the Vaqueros were not able to capitalize. It was now the Marauders turn to strike back and look to stretch the lead. Antelope Valley received a fair amount of corner kicks they hoped to take advantage of but Nick Hedges for the Vaqueros would come up with save after save to keep GCC alive. However, Hedges could only do so much as Jeremy Masrour came up with another goal for Antelope Valley. The score was now 2 to 0. The Vaqueros desperately needed to pull it together if they wanted any chance to win this game. 

Entering the second half, both teams played with a lot more aggression and furiosity. Referees called for more fouls on the field. No one wanted to let up an inch. GCC started off with a slight edge as their footwork and passing was astonishing. Antelope Valley couldn’t keep up at first. Though both teams turned the ball over on numerous occasions, eventually someone capitalized on the chaos and that team was Antelope Valley once again. Kaleb Stokes scored against GCC for the 3rd time, chipping away at GCC morale while Antelope Valley fans in attendance were overjoyed at this display. It was clear both teams were fed up with each other. The Vaqueros were not having a good night and Antelope Valley was outshining the home team. 

This animosity all boiled into a physical altercation between the teams shortly after the third goal. Stokes from Antelope Valley and a GCC player locked arms with each other trying to chase down the ball until Stokes threw down the GCC player with immense force. This one moment sparked a scuffle between the two teams. Stokes and GCC goalkeeper Hayk Tovmasyan clashed on the field as players from both teams got involved. Referees separated players and put a stop to the altercation quickly, but the damage was already done. Stokes received a yellow card. Tovmasyan received a yellow and red card, meaning that he was thrown out of the game. Stokes was substituted out but never saw the field again. This unfortunately was the nail in the coffin for GCC. The Vaqueros were unable to rally an offense for the rest of the half. Soon enough, the game ended with Antelope Valley Marauders defeating the Glendale Vaqueros 3 to 0.

A devastating loss for Glendale, the outcome probably left many wondering what went wrong. Speaking with head coach Matsumoto for the Vaqueros. She would share some of her thoughts on this game. “It’s easy to lose momentum and so trying our best to find composure is important. Every team can struggle with it because it’s hard. Head sinks down. So that opens an opportunity they [Antelope Valley] converted.” Glendale struggled to generate an offense and failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities to put them ahead of the opponent. As the game went on, both teams seemed to loathe each other. Multiple foul calls, the fight in the second half, and the frustration that was on display throughout the game. Absolutely no one was happy as coach Matsumoto commented about that altercation after the game: “Tensions running high with the opponent [Kaleb Stokes] throwing him down. It’s easy to become unhinged. Emotions were running high.” Coach Matsumoto was furious at Stokes for starting the altercation and displaying unsportsmanship-like behavior. “We have moments of brilliance but teams capitalize on breakdowns,” she added about what’s next for the team. “This team has the talent and potential but making it happen was critical. Solidarity was what we were hoping to find.” 

If the team was looking for solidarity then look no further than goalkeeper Nicolas Hedges. He delivered on the defensive end with 7 saves that night, hustling through every play to keep GCC alive. GCC Men’s Soccer Coach Laura Matsumoto had praise for the sophomore and his tremendous effort on the field. “Nick Hedges came up strong. He put in strong saves to rebuild momentum. The team did not respond,”she said.  You can only play defense for so long until the opponent looks for a weakness. Because GCC was unable to generate an offense or help Hedges in prime moments, the game was already sealed.

Sean Canonico can be reached at [email protected]