Canyons Extends Unbeaten Streak with 3-1 Win at Santa Monica

By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director 

College of the Canyons extended its unbeaten streak to nine games with a 3-1 conference road win at Santa Monica College on Tuesday.

Canyons (9-3-2, 6-0-1) continues to lead the Western State Conference (WSC), South Division standings having outscored conference opponents by a 34-3 margin across seven matches.

COC sophomore forward Ryan Shepherd netted a pair of unassisted goals to help lead the way over Santa Monica. Shepherd's score in the 80th minute ended all hopes of a Corsairs comeback and made it a 3-1 final. She ranks second on the squad with seven goals. 

Santa Monica (5-3-6, 4-1-2) put its only score on the board in the 67th minute on a ball from Vashti Zuniga that found its way past Canyons goalkeeper Hazel Saucedo 

Saucedo (5-3-1) played the whole way and earned a win for her efforts. She is now unbeaten across her last five starts.

Natalia Zuluaga Ramirez was the first to score, breaking through in the 27th minute for a 1-0 Canyons advantage. Ramirez' score was the sixth of the season and came on an assist from Ashley Striegel.

Shepherd's second goal came soon after in the 30th minute and gave the Lady Cougars a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.

Prior to Tuesday's victory Canyons made its first appearance in the California Community College Sports Information Directors Association (CCCSIA) poll as the state's No. 19 team. The Lady Cougars also earned a place in this week's national United Soccer Coaches Junior College DIII rankings as the No. 11 team.

COC will next see action in a conference match at L.A. Valley College 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20. 

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 Carla Sophia Velasco/COC Sports Information