San Jacinto College men’s soccer falls in national final

Kyle Smith - 12/1/2008 The 2008 men’s soccer team finished the season second in the nation with an 18-2-2 overall record. Photo credit: Kyle Smith.

PHOENIX, Arizona – The San Jacinto College men’s soccer team’s hopes of a national title ended Sunday afternoon with a 1-0 loss to defending national champion, and top-seed, Yavapai College in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament final in Phoenix, Arizona.

In the tournament final, Yavapai scored the lone goal 13 minutes into the match on a corner kick headed into the back of the net. Despite having seven shots on goal in the final, San Jac couldn’t get one in the net. Sophomore goalkeeper Gabriel Rodriguez had six saves in the loss. With the win, Yavapai completes a perfect season, going 26-0 en route to its national title in seventh men’s soccer.

To get to the tournament final, second-seed San Jac defeated No. 7 South Suburban College of Illinois 3-1 in the opening round and then went on to defeat No. 3 Mercer College in a 2-1 come-from-behind win in the semifinals. SJC’s finals appearance was the first-ever for the school.

San Jac had one of the best seasons on record, finishing with an 18-2-2 record. 2008 marked the third 18+ win season under Santesteban, and the best ever finish at the national tournament. The team battled many difficult situations this season, including the ever-changing Houston weather, Hurricane Ike, injuries and over 20 newcomers to the squad.

For more information about San Jacinto College soccer, please visit www.sanjacsports.com.