Vaqueros blank SB Valley 3-0 in top-ranked battle

Katherine Sheehy scored in the third minute on Friday night and SBCC added two goals in the last three minutes to blank San Bernardino Valley 3-0 in a showdown between two of the state's top-ranked women's soccer teams.

The Vaqueros (3-0-1) were ranked No. 2 in the state and No. 11 in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches' Association. The Wolverines (2-1) were No. 3 and No. 8 nationally.

After the victory at La Playa Stadium, Santa Barbara sits atop the state power points in both the women and men. SBCC's men shut out San Bernardino 5-0 on Friday afternoon.

The Vaquero women were making their home debut and wasted little time in getting on the board. Lourdes Gilbert stole the ball at midfield, made a short run toward the goal and a perfect pass to a cutting Sheehy, who beat the keeper at the 2:34 mark.

"It was fun to have a one-time finish and get that early goal," said Sheehy, a sophomore striker from Altadena who's scored in three straight games. "We played well and we're getting better each game as we learn how to work with each other. We have a lot of talented freshmen who are working hard to contribute to the team."

The score remained 1-0 until the 87:02 mark. Three crisp, short passes from Amber Mulligan to Sheehy to Idalis Rodriguez led to an insurance goal by Isabella Viana and a 2-0 lead. Just 1:53 later in the 89th minute, Riley Moore headed in a corner kick by Gardenia Maya to make it 3-0.

The Vaqueros have outscored their four opponents 12-2.

"That was a great first goal and it really set the mood for the night, encouraging our offense to go forward," said coach John Sisterson. "San Bernardino is a tough team and we knew it would be competitive. They're a physical team and we matched them. I would have been happy with 1-0 but it was great to see those last two go in."

Goalie Holly Telliard notched her second shutout and her sister, Anna Telliard, had a strong night on defense.

The Vaqueros outshot the Wolverines 12-6 and had five shots on-goal. They held SBVC to just two shots on-goal and none in the second half.

SBCC travels to Bakersfield on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. contest.