SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara City College Women’s Soccer team (6-4, 1-0) began their quest to retain the conference title on Friday afternoon against Moorpark (4-2-2, 0-1), winning 3-0.
Prior to the pandemic, the Vaqueros had won the Western State Conference (WSC) North three years in a row (2017-19). Currently, they are winners of the last two (2024, 2025). The program’s goal is to end this season with another three-peat, and today’s win was the first step in that journey.
“We’re definitely taking it one game at a time, but winning three [conference championships] in a row is definitely in the back of our minds,” Head Coach Alex Zermeno said. “It’s a winning program.”
The opening 25 minutes dragged as both teams resolutely defended counterattacks and set pieces. Morgan Retterer then played Leilani Sanchez through, but the Moorpark goalkeeper came out to make a good save. The ensuing corner was headed just wide.
Shortly after, Sanchez dribbled down the right wing and hit the crossbar on what might have been a cross attempt. Nonetheless, the Vaqueros were getting close to taking the lead.
Right before halftime, they got their goal. Giselle Najera‘s cross from the left wing found Ruby Kruse. The latter’s initial header was blocked, but the ball came right back to her. Kruse drilled a right-footed shot into the bottom right corner to put the Vaqueros on top, 1-0. It was the sophomore’s first goal of this season.
Shortly after halftime, Kruse doubled the lead. The Vaqueros tried a long throw-in into Moorpark’s box, which the visitors failed to clear. Kruse won the ball and hammered in her second goal off the crossbar. The two were separated by about five game minutes on either side of the break.
With the two-goal cushion, Santa Barbara continued to pepper the Moorpark goal while only conceding one big chance the other way. Tindra Eckstein played essentially as a sweeper, one of many Vaqueros who were defensively solid on the day.
“Super happy that our goalkeepers and back row got a clean sheet in the first conference game,” Zermeno said.
The icing on the cake came in the final minutes as Elle Eichenberger scored the team’s third goal, getting a touch on Malia Misawa‘s corner to solidify the 3-0 win. It was also the freshman’s first of the year.
“Elle’s goal was straight from a routine that Jaime [Alvarado, associate head coach] worked on with the group yesterday, so I’m happy to see that translate into a game,” Zermeno concluded.
The Vaqueros travel to Pierce on Tuesday at 3 p.m. for their next conference game.