CCSF Men’s Soccer Season Looks Promising, as Rams beat Cyprus 3-0

September 14, 2015February 25, 2020 The Guardsman

By Nicholas Chapman

The City College men’s soccer team scored a decisive 3-0 victory against the Cypress College Chargers on Sept. 5. This pre-season victory could set the tone for a strong season for the Rams.

Its was an unusually hot and sunny day at City College, and the game started off slowly. The Rams missed several opportunities in the first half to score goals, however their strong defense prevented Cypress from taking an early lead.

Team captain and Rams center-back Kyle Gavce gave a standout performance, making several important saves in both the first and second half that prevented potential goals.

When asked before the game which players to look out for this season, longtime City College coach Adam Lucarelli named Gavce as one.

“Gavce plays big, he has a big heart, and he has good position awareness” adding that “that’s why he’s one of our captains, he leads by example,” Lucarelli said.

As the game advanced towards halftime, the Rams’ strikers picked up steam. The day’s most impressive offensive performance came from Ricardo Vasquez, who scored two goals, one in the first half and one in the second half. Vasquez’s first goal was scored when he received the ball toward the center of the penalty box off a deflection.

Vasquez modestly said that he had been lucky to receive the ball in such an advantageous position, although when pressed he admitted that controlling the ball and then taking the shot had taken a good amount of skill. Vasquez scored his other goal when taking a free kick near the Cyprus goal.

The third goal was scored by Rams forward Eli Padilla, who received the ball off a deflection. Coach Lucarelli named Padilla a player from whom he expects a lot this season, and his performance against Cyprus makes this comment seem justified.

It was a good game for the Rams, and a good start to a season for which the team has high hopes.

Lucarelli said the 2015 Rams are a “really talented” and “have a good shot of winning our conference, and going far in the playoffs, and ultimately going to the final four and the state championships.”