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LTCC Coyotes take down nationally-ranked Santa Rosa

Lake Tahoe Comunnity College sophomore Rebecca Niblett takes possession for the Coyotes earlier this season during a preseason victory. Niblett scored the lone goal Sunday in the Coyotes road win over Ohlone.
Bill Rozak / Tahoe Daily Tribune |

The Lake Tahoe Community College girls’ soccer team earned a historic victory Tuesday by defeating its first nationally-ranked team in the program’s brief four-year history.

South Tahoe graduate Brooke King scored the game-winning goal off a cross from Jazmine Corvalan in the 70th minute as the Coyotes knocked off host Santa Rosa 3-2.

Lake Tahoe (2-0-1) is off to the best start in the program’s history.



The Coyotes scored twice and held a 2-0 lead into halftime.

South Tahoe graduate Maria Martinez got the Coyotes rolling in the opening minute. She scored off a 20-yard shot that bounced off the far post and into the net.



A few minutes later, another South Tahoe grad Kenya Maltase beat her defender to the end line and slotted a ball back to Santa Rosa native Jenny Camacho, who redirected Maltase’s cross into the net for a 2-0 advantage.

The Bear Cubs (2-1) scored twice in the first five minutes in the second half to put pressure on their guests, but King and the Coyotes scored the game winner in the 70th minute.

The Coyotes almost added more goals late when Camacho ricocheted another shot off the post in the 85th minute and South Tahoe graduate Emma Dayberry nearly scored in the 90th minute.

“It’s early in the season, and we were down starters, but we battled and proved we belong among the best,” said third-year coach Jeremy Evans. “I think Santa Rosa was a bit stunned at the early goals. We knew we’d absorb a lot of pressure after that and we handled it fairly well, then counter attacked the rest of the way. Giving up the two goals we did in quick succession at the beginning of the second half was disheartening, but we knew we would find our moments to score again.

“It’s great to get this type of measuring stick win, but our schedule doesn’t get any easier and really it’s time to move onto the next game and focus on that one. I’m proud of this group and that they were the first to accomplish what no other LTCC team had done before them, but we have bigger goals we’re striving toward.”

Lake Tahoe (2-0-1) hosts No. 1 and defending national champion Cerritos College on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 5 p.m. at LTCC. Cerritos’s visit to Lake Tahoe marks the highest-ranked and most illustrious soccer program to ever play a soccer game on the LTCC campus.

Niblett’s goal, defense lifts Lake Tahoe

Sophomore Rebecca Niblett scored the only goal of the match Sunday as the Lake Tahoe Community College women’s soccer team remained undefeated on the season with a 1-0 non-league win over Ohlone in Fremont.

The England native’s low driven shot, which came off an assist from sophomore defender Caitlyn Bidart, was the difference in a first half that saw the Coyotes outshoot Ohlone by a wide margin, including 7-1 in the first half.

“Our defense has carried us so far, and while that’s a positive sign, our inability to finish despite creating numerous chances remains a concern,” said Evans. “I know it’ll happen at some point because we simply have too much talent, but our defense is unlikely to be perfect every game.”


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