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Men's soccer: Yavapai stops GCCC dream of playing for championship

Published 11/22/2008 in Sports : GCCC

By MICHAEL SAMTUR

Special to The Telegram

PHOENIX -- As the final whistle blew, the proverbial clock struck midnight for the Garden City Community College men's soccer Cinderella story. The Broncbusters' players fell scattered across the field in defeat, tears streaming down their faces, after a 4-1 loss to top-ranked Yavapai (AZ) College in the NJCAA National semifinals Friday at Rose Mofford Sports Complex.

For a program that has only existed for four years, the Broncbusters made incredible strides throughout the year and have a chance to finish as the third best team in the entire country on Sunday.

While the loss feels devastating to fans and players now, the Broncbusters will be returning nine of their 11 starters next season and will be poised to make another run at a national championship. Head Coach Stephen Gorton and Athletic Director Bob Larson have established the program as one of the most exciting and dangerous in the nation in such a short time that there is no doubt the team's success will continue.

"Everybody is depressed and sad right now, but we're extremely proud of our kids," said a humble Gorton, "We told them to keep their heads up. Families go through bad times and good times. . .but overall, when you look at it, it's been a huge success. We can't hang our heads too low. We have to re-group and get situated."

The final score of the game was not indicative of the actual quality of play on the field. Yavapai scored first in the 16th minute and took that 1-0 lead into halftime despite being out-shot and otherwise out-played by the Broncbusters.

GCCC (19-2-1) came out fast in the second-half, applying early pressure on the Riders (25-0) and earning quality shot after quality shot. The Busters' pressure paid off just two and a half minutes into the half as Jose Cardenas made a nifty move inside the 18 and blasted a shot into the upper right-hand corner of the goal to tie the score at one. The Busters' fans were outnumbered 10-1 by the local Yavapai team, but they erupted so loudly in jubilant song as Cardenas shot hit the back of the net that you would not have noticed the discrepancy.

The two teams then played to a virtual standstill for the next 10 minutes, exchanging scoring opportunities. Eventually, the Riders' Chilo Rivera took a cross and headed it past Thursday night's star goalie, Chris Raines, for a 2-1 lead that Yavapai would not relinquish.

With over 35 minutes still left the play, the Busters never gave up. Mariano Leo booted a strong shot from far outside the goal-box that was nearly in before the Riders' goaltender brushed it away by the tips of his fingers. A few minutes later, the Busters' leading scoring, Steve Shaw, attempted a highlight film bicycle kick, striking the ball perfectly as he flipped upside down in the air, but the ball sailed just wide of the post.

The comeback, however, was not to be and the Riders put home two more goals with less than three minutes to play to ice the game and put Yavapai into its second straight national championship game. They will face No. 2 San Jacinto (TX) College, a team Garden City beat 2-0 earlier this year, in the finals.

The Busters will face Mercer (NJ) Community College at noon, CST, on Sunday to determine the third place finisher.

"Hopefully, they take the loss as a growing process," said Gorton, "and work that much harder in the offseason to get back to the National Tournament and win it."

With such a vibrant, rising program and such talented stars and coaches leading the way, the Busters can do exactly that, and by this time next year, exchange the glass-slipper for a National Championship trophy.

------------

Yavapai 4, Garden City 1

GCCC 0 1 -- 1

Yavapai 1 3 -- 4

Shots - GCCC 25, Yavapai 21. Corner Kicks - GCCC 0, Yavapai 5. Goalkeepers - GCCC, Raines (5 saves). Yellow Cards - GCCC, Loyacono, Argreda, Dominguez, Bench. Yavapai, Gilmer, Bendawald.

Thursday boxscore

GCCC defeated Georgia Perimeter in shootout 2-1

G. Perimter 0 0 0 0 1 -- 0

GCCC 0 0 0 0 2 -- 0

Shots - Geo Per 25, GCCC 21. Corner Kicks - Geo Per 3, GCCC 11. Goalkeepers - GCCC, Raines (8 saves). Yellowcards - Geo Per, Witlin.

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