During an unforgettable championship battle last Sunday that saw seven lead changes and needed two overtimes to decide a winner, SRJC won its first-ever women’s soccer CCCAA state title. With 30 seconds left on the clock, the Big 8 Conference Outstanding Player of the Year, Cara Curtin, scored the fourth and game winning goal defeating the Southern California No. 1 seed Santiago Canyon Hawks 4-3.
The Lady Bear Cubs won their fifth straight Big 8 Conference title this season compiling an overall record of 20-1-3 going 10-1-3 in conference play. During the semifinals on Dec. 3, SRJC defeated Cypress College 2-nil advancing the Lady Bear Cubs to the state final.
This year was the fourth time SRJC has ever played in a game that would decide the state champion. The Lady Bear Cubs previously fell short in 1991, 2008 and 2010. After finishing last year’s regular season undefeated and cruising to the state final SRJC lost to San Bernardino Valley 1-nil with the only score coming on a penalty kick.
In the championship game against the Hawks, SRJC took the lead 12 minutes into the match when Cara handled a high pass from Alexis Johnson, but was able to slide the ball past the keeper. The score remained 1-nil through halftime, then 19 minutes after intermission the Hawks scored their first goal catching SRJC defenders crowding the right side of the net. Six minutes later, the Hawks took the lead on a penalty kick after Cami James was whistled for pushing.
SRJC was 2:15 away from elimination when the officials called a hand violation in the box on Santiago Canyon providing an equalizing opportunity for Cara. Cara fooled the Hawk’s goaltender with a squib into the corner of net sending the game into its first overtime.
The Lady Bear Cubs scored first in overtime when Lauren Curtin spotted Cara near the Santiago Canyon’s goal assisting Cara with her third score taking the lead 3-2 and completing Cara’s hat trick.
With five minutes left in overtime the Hawk’s midfielder Valerie Barrios fired a laser from 30 yards out to extend the match into a second overtime 3-3.
After Barrios scored, it seemed this epic fight would never end, but as they have done thousands of times before the Curtin sisters were able to find each other and win the game. Lauren made a perfect pass to set Cara up from about 30 yards out. Cara tore through the defense’s right side and beat the keeper easily.