The Bakersfield College Men's Soccer team (2-4-1) beat Allan Hancock (2-4-1) by a score of 4-1 behind two goals from Alberto Munoz Friday night in Memorial Stadium.
But Coach Vayron Martinez was happier about the way they responded to the first score of the game.
"This was a very important game because we just lost three in a row on the road, and now we are home. And then ten minutes into the game we are down 1-0, and," Martinez said, "and then we turned it around."
He wasn't speaking just of Edwin Bernal scoring the equalizer from the top of the 18 on what he called "a really nice, calm shot."
Nor was he speaking exclusively of the four unanswered goals that came after they were down 1-0; instead he was talking about the entire team's attitude.
"I've been telling them all week that we are part of a hardworking community; whether it's in the agricultural fields or the oilfields. That's what we are known for in Bakersfield and Kern County; hard work. I've told our team that our performance has to reflect what the city and the community are about...and tonight I saw it for an entire game instead of just for a few minutes," Martinez said.
BC took a 1-1 tie into the half, but got down to business almost immediately after the whistle sounded to begin play in the second half.
Munoz came at the goal from the left side and made a great individual move to shake a defender before almost methodically measuring his shot and evenly stroking the ball at the far post to give BC a lead it wouldn't surrender just one minute into the second half.
Munoz scored his first goal just one minute into the second half to make it 2-0 BC, from the left side with a great individual move, took a calm and collected shot at the far post and it was in.
"Then maybe seven minutes later, he went through two defenders and took a quick-release, left-footed shot that went to the far post and now we're up 3-1," Martinez said.
Goalkeeper Frank Arreola made plays to insure Hancock couldn't climb back into the game.
"Frank made some great plays in traffic where bad things can happen. He was put in a position to make late reactions, and he did that. He also made a good save off a free kick in the first half, and just like the team, he played calm and solid. He did a good job in goal," Martinez said.
Braulio Guttierez scored the final goal of the night from the 18 with a low and hard shot across the goal.
Bakersfield scored four unanswered goals after surrendering the opening score at the ten minute mark, which is a remarkable accomplishment on it's own. But Coach Maritinez again said it spoke to a larger turnaround.
"There have been too many times this season where we have scored a goal and then conceded a goal within minutes of scoring. But tonight we didn't concede; and that's something we haven't done all season. We didn't concede a goal immediately after scoring a goal tonight. That's a team victory, that's a collective effort to make that happen. That's every guy supporting each other from the starters to our energy off the bench, to our small but spirited crowd. Everyone was feeling it, and I'm very proud of them," Martinez said.
The Renegades improve to 2-0-1 at home, and they'll play next on Tuesday, September 20th at 7p when they host Moorpark in historic Memorial Stadium.