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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams at Lake Tahoe Community College are entering the Northern California Regional Playoffs this week. The men play their first playoff match away on Wednesday, Nov. 20, at 2 p.m. against Cosumnes River College.
The women have a first round bye and will host their first match in the second round on Saturday, Nov. 23, against whoever wins Wednesday’s Evergreen Valley versus Merced match.
The women Coyotes will enter that match as NorCal’s No. 1 seed. This is the second time the team has received No. 1 overall ranking in northern California in their 10 year history. The team currently has 17 wins, 1 loss and 2 ties and are ranked top five in the United Soccer Coaches most recent Junior College DIII Women’s Soccer Rankings.
“They’ve been an elite team,” coach Jeremy Evans says, “from the get-go.” The team opened the season with a 1-1 tie against the previous year’s dominate team, Folsom Lake College, who is this year’s No. 2 seed behind LTCC.
“And the ball just kept rolling from there,” Evans adds. The team has led the state in goals scored and finished 10-0 in conference play. This has allowed the team to maintain its history of never losing a conference game since 2016, winning seven straight conference titles.
Individually, Leslie Jacobo-Duran is the program’s single-season and career leader in goals, assists and points. At the national level, she led in scoring last season. This season, she leads the nation in assists and California in assists and points (30 goals, 32 assists, 92 points). Her career numbers are 63 goals and 52 assists (178 points).
Another key player, Emily Brandt, scored 18 goals and made 16 assists in her first year at LTCC. Her 16 assists are second most in the state.
The women Coyotes lead the state in goals scored with 116. It’s the third straight year the team has led the state in goals, but first time since 2019 that they have scored over 100 during the season
“But I think the thing that really sets them apart is they[‘ve] got a gritty mindset, a really tough mentality,” Evans says. “They really play hard for each other.”
He sees the team show amazing team chemistry both on and off the field. A three day and two night wilderness trip at the beginning of the year helped the team bond.
“So they really got to know each other on a non-soccer basis right away,” Evans says, “and I think that connectivity started and then that just kind of dovetailed right into a successful August on the field.”
The men’s team was not able to snag a back-to-back conference championship after they won it last year. Since they did not win the conference championship, they had to enter the playoffs as an at-large team. As the 22nd seed, they will play the 11th seed Cosumnes River on Wednesday.
Their regular season play brought 11 wins, seven losses and two ties. “I actually do think that they’re among the most talented teams in Northern California,” Evans says, “and they actually can go win a couple of playoff games here.”
One issue the coach has seen the team struggle with this year has been inconsistency. “Not even inconsistent from game to game, but almost within each game.”
It isn’t for lack of talent on the team.
Patrick Kearney has scored 27 goals and 11 assists (65 points) this year and leads the state in goals and points. He’s the program’s single season record holder in scoring.
Kevin Alvarenga leads the state with 16 assists and Jensen Peake is second in state in that category with 15 assists.
“I do think that if they play hard,” Evans says, “they play well for 90 minutes, they are one of the better teams up here.”
This was evidenced at their last game before playoffs. At halftime, the team was winning 2-1, but the coach says they still weren’t playing well. They needed to ensure a win in order to get into playoffs. After what coach Evans describes as a spirited and critical half time speech, the team came out the second half to score six more goals.
“So I think it’s like replicating some of that,” Evans says.
Although the team as a whole are tied with Feather River (15th seed) for state lead in goals with 80, the coach says, the Coyotes have conceded a lot of goals too.
“And maybe the playoffs can be a little bit of a redemption situation for them,” he says.
The team hasn’t played Cosumnes River, but is preparing by watching film. “What I’ve seen so far, I think it’s a game we could 100% win if they had the right mentality.”
With both teams entering playoffs, Evans says a question will be whether they play with that act of desperation and passion that is required to win the playoffs.
Overall, coach Evan’s hope for the playoffs is that both teams play to their full potential.
“A coach can accept wins and losses when they know the players and the team gave their best effort,” Evans explains. “If that’s going on, you accept whatever happens next.”
The playoffs run through Saturday, Nov. 30, when the two teams from each region will be determined to compete for the state championship at American River College on Dec. 6 and 8.
To follow the Coyotes’ progress throughout playoffs, visit cccaasports.org
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