SBCC opens its 2013-14 athletic season on Tuesday when the Vaquero soccer squads travel to L.A. Harbor.
The women’s kickoff is set for 2 p.m., followed by the men at 4 p.m.
Nine starters return on the men’s side, led by forward Vicente Perez, midfielder Adam Colton and defender George Wakefield. The Vaqueros, who finished third in the WSC last year, are 25-4-6 the last three seasons at home.
The men make their home debut on Tuesday, Sept. 3 vs. Taft at 7 p.m.
Midfielder Alex Santana, a transfer from Cal Lutheran and the brother of former SBCC great Roberto Santana, has joined the Vaqueros along with goalie Logan Deeney (transfer from Montana State-Billings) and Australian Dylan Murphy, who played at the University of Kentucky.
John Sisterson is entering his seventh season as men‘s coach and ninth with the women.
The Vaquero women return five starters from last year‘s WSC runner-up team that went 7-1-2 in conference and 11-4-4 overall. Forward Brandie Harris, of Dos Pueblos High, is back after leading the team in scoring last year with 14 goals and four assists.
Briana Lopez, an All-CIF player from Santa Barbara High, transferred to SBCC after playing NCAA Div. 1 soccer at South Carolina State. She was recently named to the U23 Mexican National team.
“Briana is a prolific goal-scorer and Shirley Benitez from Carpinteria High has been doing extremely well in the midfield,“ said Sisterson. “Shirley is only 4-11 but she has great energy and technique. She was fantastic in our scrimmage against UCSB.”
The Vaquero women will play three games in the next five days with Thursday and Saturday afternoon dates at the Ventura Tournament against perennial power Santa Rosa and Miramar.
The home opener is Friday, Sept. 13 against Taft at 2 p.m.
