No. 1 Vikings Advance to Fourth Round of SoCal Regionals with Dramatic Overtime Victory

The top-seeded Long Beach City College men's soccer team edged No. 4 Fullerton College 1-0 in a thrilling overtime showdown, punching their ticket to the final round of the SoCal Regional Playoffs and moving one step closer to the 3C2A State Championship.

The game remained scoreless through regulation and into the second overtime period. With just four minutes remaining, the Vikings capitalized on a critical corner kick. Nikolas Huebel delivered a perfectly placed ball into the box, where Hector Tellez connected and redirected it into the net, sealing the victory for Long Beach.

"I'm proud of the guys. These guys are battle-tested now," said Director of Soccer Operations and Head Coach Jorge Reyes. "We've proven we can adapt and play different styles—whether it's keeping the ball on the ground or playing a direct game in the air. Today, we showed we can do both. Now, we face a tough matchup against our crosstown rivals, Cerritos College. We're looking forward to Saturday and ultimately aiming for the 3C2A State Championship tournament."

The Vikings will host No. 4 Cerritos College on Saturday, November 30, at 7 p.m. The teams have faced off twice this season, with both matches ending in ties—a 0-0 draw in October and a 1-1 draw in the South Coast Conference Tournament semifinal, which the Vikings won in a dramatic 6-5 penalty shootout.

"Estoy muy contento con el resultado de hoy y muy orgulloso de nuestro equipo," said Tellez after the game. "Se están haciendo las cosas como hemos entrenado. Vamos a por la final."

Tickets for Saturday's match are $12 for general admission and $8 for students, faculty, staff, seniors (60+), and children under 12. Fans can secure their seats through the Hometown Ticketing app.

Don't miss the Vikings' battle for a spot in the 3C2A State Championship!