W. Soccer: Falcons open season with solid win

Ariana Rivera chips home the Falcons third goal of the game
Ariana Rivera chips home the Falcons third goal of the game

Opening their 2025 season on a sun-soaked afternoon, the Cerritos College women's soccer team scored all three of their goals in the first half in a 3-1 non-conference win over visiting San Bernardino Valley College on Friday. The Falcons (1-0-0) will take to the road on Tuesday when they travel to Mt. San Jacinto College for a 6:00 p.m. non-conference game.

Putting pressure on the Wolverines (0-1-0) in their effective first half, Cerritos got on the board in the 15th minute when freshman Melissa Martinez (Long Beach Millikan HS) scored the first goal of the season. 

But it was a four-minute stretch that proved to be the difference in the game, as the Falcons scored two more times to account for all of the scoring they would need.

Sophomores Jessica Arroyo (Buena Park HS) and Ariana Rivera (Long Beach Millikan HS) took a leadership role, as they each scored. Arroyo's goal came in the 30th minute, with Rivera receiving a nice pass from sophomore Hypasha Garcia (Gahr HS) in the 34th minute to account for the third tally on the day.

Freshman goalkeeper Paulina Prescott (Downey HS) was up to the challenge, as she turned away 17 of the 18 San Bernardino Valley shots for her first collegiate win.

Photos by Daryl Peterson