Katie Voss scored a first-half goal and Jessica Domenichelli converted a penalty kick in the 55th minute Tuesday night, leading SBCC to a 2-1 women’s soccer victory over Ventura in a first-place showdown at La Playa Stadium.
The Vaqueros, ranked No. 2 in Southern Cal and 8th in the state, snapped a nine-game losing skid against the Pirates (14-3, 8-1) and took over sole possession of first in the WSC North.
SBCC (14-2, 9-1) won its fifth straight with consistent offensive pressure and a steady defense. The Vaqueros were outshot 20-13 but had more shots on goal (9-7).
“It feels great, we’ve been waiting two years for this,” said Domenichelli. “We’ve been looking forward to this game all season.”
In the 27th minute, Voss took a high pass from Sarah Atmajoana on a bounce and beat the keeper for her fourth goal in three games.
The Vaqueros got a PK in the 55th minute when a Ventura player was called for a hand-ball in the box. Domenichelli made it 2-0 by beating the keeper to the lower right for her 25th goal. It was the 50th of her two-year career and tied her single-season school record from a year ago.
Ventura’s Evelyn Medina scored in the 65th minute.
Morgan Crumpley, a sophomore defender from San Diego, had an outstanding game as she turned away three solid scoring chances. She stole the ball on a breakaway in the 25th minute and made a save in the 80th minute after the ball caromed off SBCC goalie Cheyenne Rodriguez.
“I’ve been on this team two years and our goal was to beat Ventura,” said Crumpley. “In my last chance here, we did it. If we meet them in the playoffs, we know we can beat them.”
The loss snapped an 11-game win streak for Ventura, which was ranked No. 4 in Southern Cal and No. 10 in the state. The victory moved SBCC up to the No. 1 ranking in Southern Cal.
With two games to go, Santa Barbara is poised to claim its first WSC women’s soccer title.
“If you’re going to win a championship, you’ve got to beat Ventura,” said Vaquero coach John Sisterson. “The girls worked very hard, it was a very competitive game. It was a physical battle.”
The Vaqueros host Moorpark on Friday at 6 p.m. in their regular-season home finale.
