The City College men’s soccer team had a successful conference season, finishing 8-1-1 with an overall 12-7-3 record.
The Vaqueros secured their first Western State Conference championship title since 2017 and advanced to the second round of playoffs. After coming in third in the conference last season, the team was determined to be back on top.
The team’s bond was not only on the field but off the field as well, which contributed to their success.
“We were more like a family,” Midfielder Gustavo Loera-Cardenas said. “We all trusted each other, and off the field, we all hung out with each other.”
In the preseason, the team had a rough patch during games because they needed to have better team chemistry.
“We got closer, and when you get closer with your teammates, it makes it a lot easier to just play harder for them on the field,” Goalkeeper Miles Keane said. “I think we were a lot closer going into the conference, and I think that is what helped.”
Despite taking it game by game, the Vaqueros accomplished their goal of winning the conference. After countless hours of practice and hard work, the Vaqueros maintained that goal, almost going undefeated this conference season.
Keane said that the team was consistently dedicated to practice and rarely took days off. Because of this, they operated with a clear purpose, which ultimately translated into their performance at the conference.
Since City College coaches are known to strategically recruit players for their sports teams, something that separates the men’s soccer team compared to other City College sports teams is their coach choosing a team that is mostly locals. Many players on the men’s soccer roster come from Santa Barbara or Ventura County.
The coaching staff saw adjustments were needed at the beginning of the season, whether it was changes in personnel or during practice. Those adjustments changed the player’s mindset when entering the conference games. Keane explained they were a focused group that originated from head coach Alex Zermeno.
Many players stepped up this season when things got rough during games. Players communicated and brought each other together on the field.
“I think everyone on the team really stepped up in different moments, and that’s what helped us,” Keane said.
He added that any player on the team who was put in a different position did their job. This includes the defense, which contributed to winning games this conference season. Keane trusted his back line, which made an impact throughout the games. The offense contributed as well by bouncing back into games after falling behind at the start.
After the team bonding continued to increase throughout the season, the Vaqueros helped one another during games.
“I feel like we were always supportive of each other,” Loera-Cardenas said. “If someone messed up, we’d try to motivate them like it is okay. It happens.”
This support led them to not only their conference title but the second round of playoffs. The Vaqueros season came to an end, but despite the playoff loss, there was a bond the team created with one another, ultimately leading to the success the team accomplished this season.
“By the end of the [conference], we really turned around and came together as a group,” Keane said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to make it past the second round of playoffs, but we played really well.”
Players are returning next season, and the City Colleges men’s soccer team will continue to work hard during the off-season to showcase the player’s talent and move forward, striving for another successful conference season.
