Santa Clarita, CA - On the last game of their 2019 regular season schedule the Bakersfield College men's soccer team and Coach Vayron Martinez pulled out all the stops in come from behind fashion against College of the Canyons to claim their first conference championship in program history - the Western State South Conference Championship. Going into the game the conference title was on the line for both teams with Bakersfield needing to win or tie to claim the title, which they did with the 2-1 win.
The game was scoreless until the 41st minute when Canyons managed to slot a shot past the Renegade defense and take the 1-0 lead and momentum into the half. Coming out of the break however, Bakersfield had different plans immediately as freshman Mathew Solorio scored his second goal of the season on a shot that was assisted by Vitor Silva and Edgar Gonzalez in the 46th minute of play. In the 69th minute Bakersfield added the insurance goal to clinch the outright title when sophomore Christian Gonzalez buried one in the back of the net for his third goal of the season. The final whistle sealed the 2019 Renegade men's soccer team's legacy into BC Athletics history as the first men's soccer team to claim a conference championship.
The current men's soccer program was revived after an almost 25 year period of not being at BC. The sport was dropped in the early 90's due to Title IX compliance and wasn't re-instated again at BC as a men's intercollegiate sport until the fall of 2015 when Coach Vayron Martinez was hired to re-start the program.
"It means a lot to this institution [Bakersfield College]. They worked hard to re-instate this program four years ago" said Coach Martinez, " It's a surreal experience; for myself as a coach".
With the WSC conference championship now secured the team will advance into post-season play. Details on their first round playoff game will be announced soon.
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