Falcons take down American River, 3-0
A brilliant orange twilight provided the backdrop for a showdown between the top two teams in the Big 8 Conference as the FLC women's soccer team faced off against district rival American River on Tuesday evening at Falcon Stadium. It was evident from the start what this match meant for both squads as they battled for every possession. Midway through the first half, sophomore forward Tiara Webb attacked the goal, then found an open Keionna Claypoole for the game's first score. The teams continued to battle evenly until just prior to halftime, when Andrea Martinez sent a free kick soaring toward the goal from 28 yards out. The ball hit the crossbar and bounced out to where Paige Verneuille was waiting, and she netted it for a 2-0 lead. The goal was a knockout punch that the Beavers wouldn't recover from. The Falcons added another goal ten minutes into the second half when freshman Riley Spitzer attacked on a breakaway, then placed a perfect pass to Martinez for her 19th goal of the season. The victory extends the Falcons' lead in the Big 8 standings to nine points over both Sierra and ARC with just six matches remaining. They'll have an off day on Friday, then host Cosumnes River on Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 pm.