Chaffey Trades Goals but Falls Late to College of the Desert 4-3

The Chaffey College men's soccer team came up short in a high-scoring Inland Empire Athletic Conference matchup Tuesday afternoon, falling 4-3 to College of the Desert. Despite a spirited offensive effort that saw three different Panthers score, a strong second half from the Roadrunners proved to be the difference.

The Panthers opened brightly, striking first in the 18th minute when Mateo Soria found the back of the net off an assist from Adrien Vazquez. Desert quickly equalized two minutes later, and the teams entered halftime deadlocked at 1-1. The Roadrunners surged ahead with a pair of early second-half goals before Chaffey responded in the 57th minute, as Diego Garcia converted on a setup from Julio Martinez to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Desert regained a two-goal advantage with a 63rd-minute penalty, but Chaffey continued to press forward. Martinez brought the Panthers back within reach in the 73rd minute, finishing a cross from Kevin Velasquez to make it 4-3. The Panthers generated several chances late, including shots from Garcia and Alberto Gomez, but were unable to find the equalizer.

Goalkeeper Fernando Monteon recorded four saves while facing 17 total shots. Martinez and Soria each tallied a goal and an assist, while Garcia added his team-leading eighth goal of the season.

With the loss, Chaffey moves to 3-2 in Inland Empire Athletic Conference play and 9-4-3 overall. The Panthers will look to rebound when they travel to Victor Valley College on Tuesday, Oct. 28, with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m.