SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara City College Women’s Soccer team (8-4, 3-0) dominated Cuesta (6-5-1, 2-2) on Tuesday afternoon, 5-1, to make it three wins out of three to begin conference play.

In the heat, the Vaqueros started out hot. Just about a minute into the match, Olivia Del Castillo played a great ball down the right wing for Leilani Sanchez. Sanchez then swung in a cross for Fiona Bulmer, who cut in front of her defender and the Cuesta goalkeeper for an easy tap-in. It was 1-0 Vaqueros, just like that.

The hosts’ lead then doubled 15 minutes in. Cuesta failed to deal with a Vaquero corner, and defender Tindra Eckstein smashed the loose ball into the back of the net for her first goal as a Vaquero.

The next five minutes were a wild sequence. Sanchez almost made it 3-0 when her left-footed shot hit the post after cutting in from the right wing. Shortly after, on their first real chance of the game, Cuesta made it 2-1 on a brilliant solo goal from Briseida Guardado.

But the flow of play was still fully in the Vaqueros’ favor. Ruby Kruse went just wide of the post after the first hydration break. Elle Eichenberger rattled the crossbar, too. Morgan Retterer teed up a ball at the back post for Giselle Najera, but she touched it just over the bar. The score remained 2-1 at halftime.

As the Vaqueros fervently looked for another goal, Bulmer slotted home her second of the day—from Sanchez’s second assist of the day. In the 50th minute, Sanchez easily scooped up a Cuesta turnover and sent Bulmer on the counterattack. She ran by her opponent and beat the goalkeeper one-on-one to restore the two-goal cushion.

Five minutes later, Kruse put in a low cross from the left wing for Del Castillo—who was a real bright spark, among many Vaqueros who played well. Although the Cuesta goalkeeper got a touch, the shot was too powerful and too close-range to stop the Vaqueros from taking a 4-1 lead.

The cherry on top came in the 85th minute when Eichenberger scored a beautiful goal from 30 yards out, just under the crossbar and over the goalie’s reach. Alia Collins got the assist as Santa Barbara earned the 5-1 victory.

Now 3-0 in conference play, the Vaqueros are the last remaining unbeaten team in the Western State Conference (WSC) North. They host Ventura (3-8, 1-1) on Friday at 7 p.m. under the lights at La Playa Stadium.