Vaqueros earn dramatic 1-1 tie on Garitone’s last-second header

SBCC saved the best for last on Tuesday as Austin Garitone's header with 10 seconds left lifted the Vaqueros into a 1-1 men's soccer tie with first-place Oxnard at La Playa Stadium.

After a scoreless first half, the Condors (12-3-3, 5-0-2 WSC North) took a 1-0 lead when Jose Luis Reyna chipped a pass across the box to Alfonzo Lopez, who scored into the lower right corner at 51:12.

The fifth-place Vaqueros (7-5-3, 2-4-1) kept battling through 90 minutes and beyond. In the fifth minute of extra time, Oscar Drevland sent a cross from the left side and defender Juan Zarate headed it back to Garitone, who was about 12 yards away.

Garitone, a sophomore midfielder from Cour d'Alene, Idaho, headed it just inside the right post for his first college goal, touching off a Vaquero celebration.

"I saw Juan going to the back post, so I hung back a few steps because I knew he would put it back in the box," said Garitone, who transferred from Cal State San Bernardino. "It was set-up perfectly and that's exactly what we needed to pick the team up, move forward and hopefully get into the playoffs.

"I thought we played pretty well. It was the same thing we've seen in the last two weeks, we had trouble getting in the final third and not putting it on frame."

Celso Lagunas drove a hard high ball in the 33rd minute but goalie Ian Hernandez made a leaping one-hand save. Pedro Ruiz's shot at 43:01 glanced off the crossbar. Oxnard's Miguel Coronel also knocked one off the bar at 81:03 and David Garcia had a chance on the rebound but booted it 10 feet over the goal.

The Condors outshot the Vaqueros 15-13 and SBCC enjoyed a 6-5 advantage in shots on-goal.

Nathan Iunes made his first start at midfield with captain Adrian Gamez sidelined by injury.

"Both teams had a number of chances," stated Vaquero coach John Sisterson. "The boys never stopped playing hard and we deserved the tie. We really needed that to keep our playoff hopes alive."

The Vaqueros have three games left and they're ranked 12th in Southern Cal power points with the top 15 making the playoffs.

They'll host Moorpark on Friday in their final home game at La Playa at 6:30 p.m., then hit the road on Tuesday at L.A. Mission (El Cariso Park, 2 p.m.) and Friday, Nov. 9 at Santa Monica, 1 p.m.