Ohlone Struggles in Conference Opener

Ohlone took on perennial powerhouse Evergreen Valley College [EVC] in their conference opener Friday night and suffered their first loss of the season.  

Having started the season on a six-game winning streak, Ohlone came into conference play ready to put its young team to the test against what is widely considered the best conference in Northern California.  It doesn't get much more difficult than traveling to Evergreen.  And the test proved to be a tough one for the Renegades.  

With only three returning sophomores in the starting lineup, it was no surprise that the beginning of the game was a little hectic.  The Renegades struggled to find their footing against a high-speed and aggressive EVC side.  Surprisingly enough, Ohlone had a chance to take the lead 20 minutes into the first half when Freshman Alex Reynoso had his shot stopped by a superb save from the EVC goalie.  Evergreen took the lead shortly after, finishing off a swift counterattack to make the score 1-0.  

The score remained close halfway through the second half, when EVC, again via the counterattack, was awarded a penalty kick after Renegade goalie Angel Munoz took down the attacking player in the box.  After converting the penalty to make it 2-0, EVC never looked back.  They dominated the game from that point on, adding two more goals to make the final scoreline 4-0.

Ohlone looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season on Tuesday, September 30th, when it hosts another formidable conference opponent, Las Positas.