Bobcats back on track

The Saddleback men's soccer team got back to its winning ways on Tuesday with a 2-1 victory over Orange Coast College inside the stadium.  Joel Smith scored a pair of goals as the Bobcats picked up their fifth win of the season.

Saddleback was coming off three straight disappointments on the scoreboard and needed a win to get back on track in its inaugural season.  The Bobcats held on for a 2-1 win against Orange Coast, and currently sit in a tie for fifth place in the Orange Empire Conference (OEC).

Saddleback dominated most of the opening half but had to wait until the final seconds to take a lead.  Joel Smith provided the spark when he netted his team-leading seventh goal of the season off a pass from Oscar Hernandez in the 45^th minute. 

Despite earning a yellow card in the opening half, Smith remained in the game and played into the second half.  It turned out to be a smart decision from head coach BJ McNicol when Smith recorded his second goal of the game in the 77^th minute off a pass from Pedro Castillo.

Orange Coast made it close at the end when Saddleback inadvertently scored an own goal for the Pirates in the 87^th minute.  The Bobcats would hang on for the final three minutes in picking up the win.

Dominic DiFrenna started in goal and played the entire 90 minutes in picking up his third win of the season.  DiFrenna finished with three saves as the Bobcats outshot the Pirates 13-5 for the game.

Saddleback is now 5-3-2 overall and 2-2-1 in OEC play.  The Bobcats will travel to inter-district rival Irvine Valley College for a game on Friday.  The Bobcats and Lasers are scheduled to kickoff at 3:00 PM in Irvine.