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Oxnard suffers 3-1 loss to Cerritos
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More from CollegeGerrardo Torres and Alex Munoz combined for three goals in the second half as the host Oxnard College men's soccer team was handed its first loss of the season, 3-1, by defending state champion Cerritos on Tuesday afternoon.
Winger Alex Almaraz gave Oxnard (3-1-2) a 1-0 halftime lead, but Cerritos (6-2-2), ranked No. 2 in the nation in the NSCAA's preseason poll, scored twice in the first five minutes after the interval to take control of the match.
"They're a good team," said Oxnard coach Ross Greaney. "They showed today why they win state championships.
"But, I think, man for man, we're just as talented and we created just as many chances. It's a good lesson for our team."
Almaraz opened the scoring after taking a first-half corner kick. The ball came out back to him and he bent the ball home from 15 yards.
Cerritos' goals meant a wide-open second half. Oxnard's best opportunity to even the score at 2-2 came with 15 minutes to play, right before Torres' second on the counter-attack finished the game.
Almaraz dragged the ball away from his defender with panache before whipping a low, hard cross though the Falcons' goalmouth. But forward Sergio Garcia's volley under pressure spun agonizingly wide.
"We had a lot of chances, it was a pretty even game," said Greaney. "They just converted those two chances after halftime."
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