Falcon women claim Big 8 title with win over Sierra!
In front of a packed Friday night 'Spirit Week' crowd (as well as Sophomore Recognition Night) at Falcon Stadium, the FLC women's soccer team broke their 2-match winless streak with a satisfying 1-0 victory over local rival Sierra College, thereby clinching the Big 8 Conference championship with two matches yet to play. The intensity of this rivalry cannot be understated and was evident from the opening whistle. Every possession was contested and every ball battled for. The Falcons broke through early with a header by sophomore forward Keionna Claypoole off a perfectly placed corner kick from Andrea Martinez in the 12th minute of play. The intensity continued right through the second half of play with both teams trying to create scoring chances only to be turned away by defense and great goalkeeping. The Falcon defense managed to keep a hungry Sierra out of their half of the field, allowing FLC goalkeeper Valerie Ogorodnikov to earn her 13th shutout of the season; the Falcons have allowed just 6 goals in 19 matches as they improved to 16-1-2 and 11-2-2 in Big 8 Conference play. They'll finish off the Big 8 schedule with two away matches this week; Tuesday night at Sacramento City and Friday afternoon at Delta. The CCCAA state playoffs are slated to open on Saturday, November 18 with a home match for the Falcons, however pairings will not be determined until November 14.