After losing a close game in Santa Clarita last December for the State Championship against San Bernardino Valley College, the Lady Bear Cubs will have their shot again after going to their second straight final four.

Defeating their conference rival in front of a large crowd at the SRJC, the Lady Bear Cubs bombarded Modesto Junior College Pirates with more than a dozen shots on goals on Nov. 26.

The Lady Bear Cubs won 4-2, but the margin of victory could have easily been greater. “We could have scored eight, nine, 10 goals today,” SRJC Head Coach Luke Oberkirch said. The Lady Bear Cubs will advance to the 2011 CCCAA Soccer State Championships on Friday Dec. 2-4, at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento.

Defeating the Pirates for the first time this year after a loss and a tie earlier in the season was especially sweet for freshman forward Kareli Rodriguez. “It feels real good, and we scored a lot on them,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez scored a goal in her second straight playoff game with help from a Cara Curtin assist.

“Kareli’s coming on strong, Shelby too. And Cara you know she’s just so dangerous, I told her at halftime she needed to be more selfish,” Oberkirch said.

The Pirates have been a thorn in the Lady Bear Cubs all season after beating them in September in Modesto and forcing a draw at the SRJC in October. “The first game they were better than us; we weren’t ready for the game down there in September. It was hot and we just didn’t play well,” Oberkirch said. “In the second game we had a red card, which was unfortunate but credit to them. They didn’t give up and today, it was 3-0 and they came back. It feels nice to beat a team we haven’t beaten.”

Next the Lady Bear Cubs will face Cypress College at 10 a.m. Friday Dec. 2 on field #2 at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento in the State Final Four Match for the chance to represent the North Region against the South Region in the State Championship game at 10 a.m. Sunday Dec. 4.