NEWS

Four Warriors Earn All-SCC Honors

November 21, 2011

Sophomores Michael Tostado, Chris Marckstadt, Aric Morales and freshman Frank Arteaga were each named to the All-South Coast Conference Team last week with freshman Ben Turnbull receiving Honorable Mention honors. 

Tostado made his second appearance on the All-SCC Team, earning his first All-SCC First Team selection in 2011. Tostado was a strong presence in the midfield for the Warriors and helped set up many of the Warriors scoring chances this season. 

Marckstadt was named to the All-SCC First Team this year. He was one of the team’s leaders in goals scored and was perhaps their biggest offensive threat. He wreaked havoc on opposing defenses in both of his seasons with the Warriors, particularly in 2011. 

Morales and Arteaga anchored the defense for the Warriors in 2011 and were rewarded with All-SCC Second Team selections.

Chambers And Valenzuela Lead Men's Soccer In The Classroom

November 16, 2011

The El Camino College men’s soccer team had many shining moments this season, including pulling off a near upset of eventual South Coast Conference champions Mount San Antonio College and settling for a 2-2 draw. The Warriors nearly beat a Cerritos team that was ranked top-5 in the nation. But perhaps the team’s best highlights this season came from the classroom. 

Midfielder Jurgen Chambers and Eddyson Valenzuela were named 2011 Scholar Ballers and honored at halftime of the Warriors football game on Nov. 12. The two players excel in their studies as well as on the field. 

“I’m so proud that I’m able to be a Scholar Baller,” Chambers said. “I work hard to make sure my grades stay up and I go in for tutoring whenever I don’t understand anything, so I’m proud.” 

The Scholar Baller Program was founded by a group of professors and academic administrators and is intended to inspire students in the middle school, high school or college level to develop leadership skills and to excel in their education by using their interest in sports as motivation. The program is supported by the NCAA and has collaborates with more than 50 colleges and universities, including El Camino College. In order to be recognized as a Scholar Baller, a student must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 at El Camino College. 

“It feels good to be able to play and keep my grades up,” Valenzuela said. “I’m trying to finish my general education here (at El Camino College) and transfer out and major in accounting.” 

Chambers was a staple of the soccer team this season, constantly applying pressure on the opposing defense from either the right or left wing positions with an occasional stint in the middle. But the pressure he applied on the field does not compare to the pressure he will face in his education as he wants to become an aerospace engineer when he is finished with his studies. 

“It’s really hard because sometimes it’s not just soccer and academics,” Chambers said. “You have to go home and do housework and stuff like that, but over time you get used to it and if you just work hard you will be able to get it done.” 

Chambers has clearly adjusted well as he had a 4.0 GPA last semester. He did stumble over the summer, however, receiving a B in his math class. His hardest class this year is trigonometry. 

As for Valenzuela, he is also hoping to transfer to a four-year university after his time is done at El Camino College. But he also acknowledged how difficult the life of a student-athlete can get with juggling soccer and academics. 

“With the essays it gets pretty difficult,” Valenzuela said. “You get home at six or seven (in the evening) and you are tired (from practice). You just want to sleep but you have to do (homework).” 

After a while, though, Valenzuela said it becomes routine, but it also helps to become organized. 

“I actually set an hour everyday to do homework,” Valenzuela added. “I catch up (on homework) and also try to get a head start on everything that is due the next week just because of games.” 

While it can become a juggle with practice and homework, there are some advantages to being a student-athlete, particularly the long soccer practices. 

“(It helps you with) working with groups you know,” Chambers said. “If I need help it’s not a bad thing to go ask your peers because they might know something you don’t. That’s how soccer helps my academics.” 

“(Soccer makes you approach) everything like it counts,” Valenzuela added. “The lectures need to be taken seriously and the homework is going to help you out in class the way practice helps you out in games.”

Warriors Overwhelm Long Beach In Finale

November 10, 2011

The Warriors shelled Long Beach 4-2 at Murdock Stadium. Magnus Petersen, Matias Henriquez, Ben Turnbull and Chris Marckstadt each scored for the Warriors. 

Nolan Dean made four saves in the first half before leaving with an injury. Figueroa came in and filled the spot nicely, making nine saves in the second half to secure the victory for the Warriors. 

This season was a roller coaster ride for the Warriors and their fans but it was exciting nonetheless. Highlights included playing Mt. SAC, the No. 1 team in Southern California, to a 2-2 draw at Murdock Stadium and nearly doing the same against Cerritos, one of the top teams in the nation at the time, at home on Oct. 4. 

Congratulations to the Warriors on an exciting season.

Warriors Play ELAC To A Scoreless Draw

November 8, 2011

The Warriors goalkeepers combined to make nine saves as the Warriors played to a 0-0 draw against East Los Angeles Tuesday in a South Coast Conference match at Murdock Stadium. 

Nolan Dean started in net for the Warriors and made three saves in the first half. Wilfredo Figueroa took over in the second half and made six saves, including a couple of big denials to preserve the draw for the Warriors. 

The Warriors best scoring chance came in the first half when the offense overran the Huskies box and just missed bulging the back of the net. Jurgen Chambers took a pass to the right of the goal and fired a low shot at the Huskies net. But the ball hit the outside of the right post and went out of bounds, ending the threat for the Warriors. 

The Warriors will play their final game of the season Thursday as they host Long Beach at 1 p.m. at Murdock Stadium.

Warriors Shutout Harbor

November 1, 2011

TORRANCE, Calif. – Kelvin Alfaro and Chris Marckstadt scored a goal apiece as the Warriors defeated L.A. Harbor 2-0 Wednesday in a South Coast Conference match at Murdock Stadium. 

Goalkeeper Nolan Dean made five saves for the Warriors (4-7-6, 3-5-3) including a spectacular stop in the 72nd minute off a header from Seahawks forward Oscar Caballero to preserve his fourth shutout of the season. 

The Warriors got on the board in the 14th minute after a cross by midfielder Charlie Gonzalez was not cleared properly by the Seahawks (6-6-6, 2-4-5). The ball found its way to Alfaro at the top of the box, where he proceeded to deposit it into the back of the net past Seahawks goalkeeper Larry Felando. 

The Warriors then weathered a barrage of Harbor shots, most going wide or high of the goal, until forward Chris Marckstadt added some insurance midway through the second half. 

The play started at midfield where Gonzalez dribbled along the left sideline, using a touch pass to beat his first defender. Another Seahawks player attempted to close in on Gonzalez just outside the 18-yard box, but Gonzalez used another touch pass to get past the would-be defender and then sent a perfect cross into the middle of the box, where Marckstadt headed the ball through Felando’s hands and into the net for a 2-0 lead. 

The Warriors will head to Pasadena on Friday, a team they shutout 1-0 on Oct. 11 at Murdock Stadium.

Alfaro Scores Twice, Dean Stars As Warriors Tie Mt. SAC

October 21, 2011

TORRANCE, Calif. – Freshman goalkeeper Nolan Dean starred in net for the Warriors as they grinded out a 2-2 draw against No. 2 Mt. San Antonio College in a South Coast Conference match Friday at Murdock Stadium. 

Dean made an astonishing 14 saves on the afternoon including 10 in the second half to help preserve the tie for the Warriors (3-5-5, 2-4-2). The visiting Mounties (13-0-1, 7-0-1) came into the contest in first place of the SCC, the No. 2 team in the state and riding a 13-game winning streak. 

Freshman Kevin Alfaro scored twice for the Warriors, both in the first half. Sophomore forward Chris Marckstadt had one assist. 

Javier Castro and Luis Fuentes scored for the Mounties and goalie Alfredo Ontiveros had 10 saves. 

The Warriors jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 6th minute of the game when midfielder Charlie Gonzalez sent in a cross from the left side of the box that found it’s way onto the left foot of Alfaro. The initial shot was sent back by a Mounties defender but Alfaro deposited the rebound into the back of the net to stun the Mounties early. 

But the visitors recovered quickly when Castro beat Dean low and to the left to tie the score in the 11th minute. Five minutes later, sophomore forward Edgar Padilla sent in a line-drive cross into the box and Fuentes headed it into the right corner to give the Mounties a 2-1 lead. 

The score stayed that way until the 26th minute, when Marckstadt put a wonderful through-ball onto the feet of Alfaro, who led a breakaway on the right side and then beat Ontiveros with a left-footed shot that bulged the left side of the net to tie the score. 

The Warriors will travel to El Camino College Compton Center on Oct. 25.

Warriors Shutout Pasadena

October 11, 2011

TORRANCE, Calif. – Freshman midfielder Charlie Gonzalez scored a goal early in the first half and the Warriors held on for a 1-0 South Coast Conference victory over Pasadena Tuesday at Murdock Stadium. 

With the victory, the Warriors (3-3-4, 2-2-1) even up their conference record while the visiting Lancers (6-4-2, 1-3-1) remained winless in their last four SCC contests. Goalkeeper Nolan Dean made three saves for the Warriors to record his third shutout of the season. 

Both teams had their fair share of chances in the first half, but it was Gonzalez and his bright yellow shoes who finally managed to put one in the back of the net in the 18^th minute. 

After Dean cleared the ball on a goal kick, the Warriors managed to move the ball deep into Lancers territory until it found the feet of freshman William Cando on the left edge of the box. Cando then sent a pass to Gonzalez who fired a low shot that beat the Lancers keeper and found the bottom right corner of the net to give the Warriors the lead. 

The Lancers turned up the pressure in the second half, relentlessly attacking the Warriors defense. Dean made a fabulous save 30 seconds into the half, diving to his left and knocking away a Lancers shot, their best opportunity of the game. 

The Warriors will now travel to take on No. 10 East Los Angeles College on Friday.

Warriors Edged By Nationally Ranked Cerritos

October 4, 2011

TORRANCE, Calif. – The Warriors surrendered a goal early in the second half and it proved to be the difference as they dropped a South Coast Conference match to visiting Cerritos 1-0 Wednesday at Murdock Stadium. 

The Warriors (2-3-3, 1-2) gave the unbeaten and nationally ranked Falcons (9-0-1, 3-0) all they could handle and the teams were deadlocked, 0-0, going into halftime. 

The first half was a back-and-forth affair with both teams frequently exchanging control of the ball and getting solid scoring chances. 

In the seventh minute, the Warriors just missed taking the lead when sophomore Michael Tostado’s shot veered just wide of the left post. 

In the second half, the Falcons showed why they were the No. 4 ranked team in the country when, after forcing a Warriors turnover in their own zone, sophomore Juan Ochoa received the ball inside the box on the left side and, from a bad angle, beat Warriors goalkeeper Wilfredo Figueroa with a rocket shot off his left foot to give the Falcons the lead for good. 

Despite getting beat on that play, Figueroa was stellar for the Warriors as he came up with 10 saves on the day. 

The Warriors will look to rebound and even up their conference record when they travel to face South Bay rival L.A. Harbor on Friday.

Warriors Defeat Compton, Tie Victor Valley In Busy Weekend

October 3, 2011

Sophomore defender Aric Morales scored a goal and notched an assist to help the Warriors (2-2-2) score a 4-1 South Coast Conference victory Friday over ECC Compton Center at Murdock Stadium. 

Morales (West) put the Warriors ahead early in the match, scoring on a header from the right side of the box in the third minute. Freshman Alberto Briseno recorded the assist on a crossing pass from the right side of the field, which Morales directed into the left side of the goal. 

In the 28^th minute, the Warriors tacked on another goal thanks to a great pass from Morales. Freshman midfielder Ben Turnbull was parked inside the box when Morales put in a cross from the right side of the field and Turnbull tucked in the pall past the keeper with what proved to be the game-winner. 

The Tartars cut the deficit to one midway through the second half when Peter Rezk lobbed a shot from the outside past the outstretched arms of Warriors goalkeeper Nolan Dean. 

But the Warriors responded five minutes later thanks to a goal from freshman Jurgen Chambers to ice the game. Michael Tostado-Moreno scored the Warriors last goal in the 79^th minute to put an exclamation point on the victory. 

The Warriors had little time to enjoy the win as they had to travel to Victor Valley, where they played the Rams to a 2-2 draw. The match was a make-up game after the original meeting between the two teams scheduled on Sept. 23 was postponed due to lightning. 

The Warriors controlled possession for most of the game and led 1-0 at halftime, but they could never pull away from the host Rams. 

“We were by far the better team,” head coach John Britton said. “We controlled the ball for most of the match but we couldn’t turn the ball possession into goals.” 

Ben Turnbull scored the first goal for the Warriors on an assist from William Cando and Chris Marckstadt scored the other goal off a pass from Michael Tostado-Moreno. 

This week the Warriors will host Cerritos on Tuesday before they travel to L.A. Harbor on Friday.

Warriors Defeat Moorpark, Earn First Win of the Year

September 16, 2011

TORRANCE, Calif. – After an opening loss and two ties, the men's soccer team finally got a taste of victory with a 4-0 victory over Moorpark Friday at Murdock Stadium.
 
It was the Warriors' (1-1-2) home opener and they definitely enjoyed some home cooking, scoring once in the first half and then erupting for three more goals in the second half.
 
The Warriors took the lead in the 25th minute after freshman Alberto Briseno was taken down by a Raiders defender inside the box. Sophomore forward Chris Marckstadt took the penalty shot and blasted it into the top right corner to put the Warriors on the board, 1-0.
 
The score stayed that way going into halftime, but the Warriors came out and overwhelmed the Raiders early and often in the second half.
 
In the 47th minute, the Warriors struck again as Briseno's low cross from the right side was controlled by freshman Oswaldo Rodriguez near the penalty spot. Rodriguez then let off a blast that beat the Raiders keeper and gave the Warriors a 2-0 cushion.
 
Five minutes later, freshman Ben Turnbull got in on the scoring, tucking a header into the bottom right corner after a long throw-in by sophomore Aric Morales to give the Warriors a 3-0 lead.
 
Freshman Charlie Gonzalez capped off the scoring in the 89th minute, pouncing on a rebound off a Turnbull shot.
 
Freshman goalkeeper Nolan Dean made three saves, including turning back a Raiders penalty kick late in the match. Wilfredo Figueroa also had a brief stint in net, making one save.
 
The Warriors will travel to Victor Valley for their next game on Sept. 23.

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