Jordan Tabor converted a penalty kick in the 49th minute and SBCC went on to tie Taft 1-1 in its men’s soccer home opener on Tuesday at La Playa Stadium.
Andy Reyes got the Cougars (2-0-1) on the board in the last minute of the first half. In the fourth minute of the second half, SBCC’s Rodrigo Perez was tripped in the box, leading to the Tabor’s left-footed blast into the right corner — his second goal in two games.
The Vaqueros had chances to score in the 80th and 90th minutes but couldn’t find the net.
“The first half was disappointing,” said coach John Sisterson, whose team is 1-0-1. “I think the guys thought after the (5-1) win at Sequoias, it was going to be a breeze. Taft is a good team. They’re very competitive and we allowed them to play.
“We got after our guys at halftime and we made some adjustments. We played a lot better in the second half. The PK was justified and I was just waiting for one of our other opportunities to go in.”
Santa Barbara is 14-1-2 in its last 17 home games.
“It was a different game in the second half,” Sisterson stated. “We’ve got to learn to start games like we started the second half.”
Perez stole the ball in the 18th minute and hit a rocket that barely skimmed over the crossbar. He had another chance in the 46th minute, just minutes before he was pulled down in the box.
“We got caught on our heels in the first half,” said Perez, a former Dos Pueblos High standout. “We had a great response in the second half. We were able to get on them and pressure them.”
SBCC will be at home on Friday against Cypress at 7 p.m.
