No. 9 Seed Canyons to Make 12th Consecutive Postseason Run
By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director
College of the Canyons women's soccer is preparing to make the program's 12th consecutive postseason appearance after being named the No. 9 seed for the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A) Southern California Regional Playoffs
No. 9 Canyons (13-4-4) travels to No. 8 Allan Hancock College (15-3-3) at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18. A full Southern California Regional bracket is available here.
The Lady Cougars finished runner-up in the Western State Conference (WSC), South Division standings a game back of champions Santa Monica College.
COC was an impressive 8-1-2 on the road this season with the lone loss coming at Long Beach State on Sept. 12. Following that defeat, Canyons rattled off a 15-game unbeaten streak.
Canyons netted 60 goals on the season with a lineup that featured a trio of players who reached the 10-goal mark in sophomores Alyssa Edwards, Ryan Shepherd and freshman Ashley Striegel. Sophomore Natalia Zuluaga Ramirez also found the back of the net on seven occasions.
The Lady Cougars have mostly featured Ashley Saucedo (7-4-3) in goal, with the sophomore recording 41 saves and a 0.96 goals against average. Defenders Laurel Durkin, Vivian Martinez, Jessie Bonsness and Natalie Quezada were all instrumental during COCs regular season run.
Allan Hancock won the WSC, North Division title with a conference mark of 8-1-3, the program's second straight championship but its first outright crown after sharing claim in 2022.
AHC sophomore Cynthia Ramirez ranks third in the state with 30 goals alongside 14 assists. The Bulldogs averaged 4.05 goals per game (81 total) while boasting a goals-against average of 0.95 throughout the regular season.
The Lady Cougars' streak of consecutive playoff runs under head coach Justin Lundin dates back to the 2011 season (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023). COC athletic programs did not compete during the 2020-21 season due to cancellations based on the COVID-19 pandemic.
In all, Canyons has played in the postseason on 16 occasions dating back to the program's inception in 1998.
Last season, COC made program history by advancing to the third round of 3C2A Southern California Regional Playoffs after defeating No. 8 Pierce College 2-1 in the second round of regional play. However, COC's season came to an end with a 2-0 OT defeat to No. 1 Chaffey College.
The 2023 Southern California Regional Tournament begins with a play-in round Nov. 16 and runs through Nov. 25. Two teams will advance from the SoCal Regional bracket to the 3C2A State Championship showdown Dec. 1-3 at. Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.
Full brackets for both the North and South Regions are available here.
Host Venue Game Day Information
Tickets for Saturday's match between No. 9 Canyons and No. 8 Allan Hancock are now on sale through the Bulldogs' online ticketing system.
Admission is $12 for adults and $8 for students, seniors and children over six. Fans should be reminded that AHC is a cashless venue with tickets at the gate only available through credit card, debit card or Apple Pay.
Seating at the venue is limited. Bleachers are available with fans also encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs, blankets, etc. Pets are NOT allowed inside the venue.
Fans unable to attend the match in person can also watch the AHC Athletic Department's live stream available here.
Additionally, online live stats will also be through both the COC and AHC athletic department websites.
Stay up to date on all this season's action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
—Photo by Mari Kneisel/COC Sports Information