Huskies Make Season Opening Statement with Biggest Rout in Ten Years

by Cerwin D Haynes

Let's be honest: what words could describe the feeling of watching a program shake off four years of scoring parcity in one game?

Some would say "that's just hyperbole". Others may ask, "well, who was the opponent?" But if you're a program that only has 18 goals scored in the past four years - and only three goals scored in all of last year - does it matter who you score against?

East LA College Women's Soccer (1-0) doubled their scoring total of all last year in just one game, netting six goals in a 6-1 rout of Cuyamaca College (0-2). The last time ELAC scored six or more goals in a game was almost 10 years ago, in November of 2015.

"It's just one game," cautioned interim head coach Ramon Rivas. But when he was informed of the last time the program scorched the nets as such, even he was taken aback. 

"Wow," he remarked.

"Wow", indeed. The Gallardo sisters (Jacky and Jennifer) combined for three goals and four assists, setting an offensively aggressive tone that the team would follow throughout the afternoon. Jacky, the freshman MF, set up Jennifer, the sophomore MF, for the first two goals off corner kicks that Jennifer headed successfully past Cuyamaca GK Zadie Williams.

Both goals were scored within the first eight minutes of the game... let that sink in while you take a look at the team's stats last year.

It wasn't immediately a blowout: in the 30th minute, Cuyamaca MF Gabrielle Aquirre took advantage of some shaky defense when she dribbled around three Huskies' defenders who had trouble locating the ball. Her 10' blast eluded East LA freshman GK Jacqueline Camarena to cut ELAC's lead, 2-1. But Jennifer Gallardo would answer back with a straight-on solo shot past Williams to give the Huskies a 3-1 lead, which they would take into halftime.

It was territory unfamiliar to the program of recent years, notable since this year's team has a good number of returnees from 2024. The home Green did not get complacent in holding such a rare lead: they kept up the offensive pressure in the second half, booting three more goals (all three assisted).

HUSKY BITS 

• Jacky Gallardo had two goals (1', 7')on four SOGs. Sister Jennifer had one goal (34') and three assists.
• Freshman F Camila Cano had a goal (52') and an assist.
• Sophomore MF Nayleah Gonzalez (62') and sophomore F Fatima Raad (70') each scored a goal. Raad turned on the jets down the right side when she received a wonderful outlet pass from Sandry Padron. Raad beat Cuyamaca DM Mwamini Shabani (who had bravely battled ELAC's forwards all game) downfield when she blasted a 13-footer from the right side to the back of the net.
• GK Camarena got the win (1-0) with three saves on four SOGs.
• ELAC took 24 shots to Cuyamaca's four, and had five corner kicks for the game.

UP NEXT:

The Huskies will try to take their newfound scoring prowess on the road as head down to San Diego City College this Friday at 3pm.