With a remarkable returning class, Taft College Men`s Soccer program is looking to carry on in the same fashion. With experience under the belt, the coaches are looking to bring in freshmen from Kern County to compliment their talents. Several soccer players have continued on to universities such as UNLV, UCI, CSULA, and CSUB. The coaching staffs` efforts are aimed toward those athletes who wish to continue both their athletic and academic careers at the university level. The men's soccer program is designed for those student athletes who believe that hard work and dedication is a means to success.

TC's Edgar Contreras Signs with UCLA:

UCLA Men's Soccer Signs Top-Ranked Recruiting Class Bruins to bring in 10 standouts for the 2013 season.
Feb. 11, 2013

Los Angeles, Calif. - UCLA head coach Jorge Salcedo has landed the top-ranked recruiting class in the country, signing seven standouts to National Letters of Intent and bringing in three talented transfers for the 2013 season.

The Bruins' latest class features five players ranked in the top 25 in College Soccer News's list of Top Recruits for the 2013 season, including the No. 1 overall player in the country. Two players competed for the U.S. at the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup, while another competed for New Zealand. Overall, seven players have experience playing with their respective Youth National Teams while five have earned NSCAA Youth Boys All-American honors. UCLA's 2013 class has been named the No. 1 class in the country by Top Drawer Soccer.

"Our 2013 recruiting class is comprised of very talented players," head coach Jorge Salcedo said. "There is some skill and technique, athleticism and experience, but above all it is a group that has a strong desire to be the best soccer players they can be. Our staff is very excited to work with each of them. This elite recruiting class is a byproduct of a lot of work from several individuals within our Athletic Department and I would like to sincerely thank them for their assistance throughout the process."

This is the fourth time that Salcedo has brought in the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in his tenure as UCLA head coach, signing the top-rated classes in 2004, 2006, 2010 and now 2013. The Bruins have also won six Pac-12 titles under Salcedo's leadership, have been to two College Cups (2006 and 2011) and have reached the NCAA Quarterfinals four times (2006, 2009, 2010 and 2011). In addition, Salcedo has been named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year on four occasions and has produced 18 MLS Draft picks in his nine years as head coach.

2013 UCLA Men's Soccer Signing Class

Cougar Men's Soccer Open Playoffs With Victory
by Dennis McCall
Taft Midway Driller
November 20, 2012

Freshman forward Ramiro Barraza scored both goals Tuesday in Taft College’s 2-1 state soccer playoff victory over Lassen Community College.

The Cougars will host Cabrillo College Saturday in the semi-finals.  The winner gets a trip to the final four on Nov. 30-Dec. 2.

Lassen midfielder Krishan Patel drilled a crossing pass into the left corner of the goal in the eighth minute to give the team from Susanville an early lead.

Barraza took a pass from Andy Reyes in the 43rd minute to tie it and scored the game-winner minutes later on a header off a corner kick.

TC (16-0-5) advances to the semi-finals against No. 13 Cabrillo, which upset No. 5 Fresno 2-1 after knocking off No. 4 Santa Rosa in last Saturday’s opening round.

The game ended in a brawl when a Lassen player jumped a Taft player.  

Players from both teams scuffled for several minutes before calm was restored.

Referees will issue a report that could produce red cards.  The penalties won’t matter for Lassen, which ended its season 10-6-4, but it could affect TC.

Cougar Men's Soccer Heading to Playoffs
November 16, 2012

Taft College men's soccer has finished the regular season with an outstanding record of 15-0-5 and are ranked #1 in Northern California and in the State, earning them a first round bye in the playoffs, as well as, home field advantage throughout. The Cougars will host either Feather River College or Lassen College on Tuesday, November 20 at 2:00 pm on the Taft Union High School Soccer Field.

Cougar's Sweep All Conference Soccer Awards
by Dennis McCall
Taft Midway Driller
November 16, 2012

Taft -- It’s no surprise that the No. 1 men’s community college soccer team in California swept the post-season awards at the conference level.

That’s exactly what happened Thursday when the All-Central Valley Conference team was announced.

Taft College players won or shared all five MVP awards and head coach Angelo Cutrona was named coach of the year.

All totaled, 13 Cougars earned all-conference honors – 10 of them first team selections.
 Edgar Plascencia, a sophomore midfielder from Wasco, was named the most valuable player.
Taft High product Roberto Gonzalez was the goalkeeper of the year.  He ranks fourth in the state with his 75 saves.  He gave up just 12 goals in 20 games.

Defender of the year honors went to Edgar Contreras, a sophomore from Arvin; co-offensive player of the year is freshman forward Ramiro Barraza of Bakersfield High who led the team in scoring with 16 goals and 6 assists; and co-midfielder of the year is Roberto Mariscal, a sophomore from Palmdale.

Five other Cougars made first team. They are freshman defender Trevon Demison from Bakersfield High, freshman midfielder Gerardo Gonzalez from Wasco; sophomore forward Juan Carlos Gonzalez from Quartz Hill High; sophomore midfielder Andy Reyes from Patrick Henry High in San Diego; and sophomore midfielder Julio Lopez from Mira Monte High in Bakersfield.

Earning second team honors are freshman midfielder Andres Iniguez from Mira Monte, sophomore midfielder Jose Gonzalez from Quartz Hill and sophomore midfielder Julio Lopez from Mira Monte.

Since the Cougars are the No. 1 seed in the northern California playoffs that begin on Saturday they get a first-round bye and next Tuesday will host the winner of the (8) Feather River vs. (9) Lassen game.  

The Cougars have to win two games to earn a trip for the final four at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut Nov. 30-Dec. 2.

Two teams from the north and two from the south will battle for the state crown.  

Taft has won it once and been runner-up twice.  The Cougars have been in the playoffs every year since Angelo Cutrona began coaching the team in 2004.

TC's Men's Soccer Team Draws Top Seed: Womens Team Opens on the Road
Taft Midway Driller
October 8, 2012

As expected, both Taft College soccer teams have been seeded in the state playoffs that begin Saturday.

The women's team was seeded 14th in the 16-team northern California regional playoffs and will travel to Santa Rosa JC to play the No. 3 seeded Bear Cubs (14-3-2), champions of the Big 8 Conference.

The Cougars finished 9-8-3 overall and 3-2-1 in the Central Valley Conference. TC was runner-up to Fresno City College, the No. 1 seed in the regional playoffs.

If TC can pull off an upset in Santa Rosa they will play the winner of the No. 4 Sierra vs. No. 13 Cosumnes River next Tuesday.

The Cougar men finished the regular season undefeated at 15-0-5 and ranked No. 1 in the state and northern region.

They draw a first-round bye and next Tuesday will host the winner of Saturday's (9) Lassen at (8) Foothill game.

If they win next week, the Cougars could play CVC rival Fresno in the Nov. 24 NorCal regional final.

No. 5 Fresno hosts No. 12 Foothill on Saturday with the winner playing the survivor of the (4) Santa Rosa vs. (13) Cabrillo game next Tuesday. If the Rams win both they will get a rematch with Taft. The Cougars beat and tied Fresno in conference play.

Undefeated Cougar Men's Soccer Must Guard Against Complacency
by Dennis McCall
Taft Midway Driller
October 8, 2012

Taft College is in a bit of a rut – a nice rut.

The undefeated Cougar men’s soccer team on Friday won its fourth consecutive game by a 2-0 score.  And, all have been on the road.

This time it was a satisfying victory over Central Valley Conference archrival Fresno City College to boost the Cougars to 9-0-2 on the season and, more importantly, 2-0 in the conference.

Head coach Angelo Cutrona will be happy with another 2-0 win Tuesday when the Cougars take their seventh straight road trip to Sacramento to take on American River College (6-5-2) in a conference crossover match.

The thing that most worries him is overconfidence. “The villain for us will always be complacency,” he said.  “I’m always looking for our guys to be calm, cool and sharp.  We have to go into every game with that mindset.  I think everybody understands what’s at stake.”
It was that approach that carried the Cougars to the win over Fresno. “That was a big test for us,” he said.  “It’s very difficult to win in Fresno.  It wasn’t a fluke.  Our boys went in there and made a statement.”

Cutrona said the Cougars controlled the tempo and didn’t allow the Rams to counterattack.
“Fresno sat back and defended,” he said.  “At times they had eight players in the back.  They use their size and strength to defend and then look for opportunities to counterattack, but we didn’t give them an opportunity.” It was scoreless until moments before the halftime whistle when Trevon Demison scored on a header off a pass from Ramiro Barraza. “That goal came at a perfect time and solidified what we were trying to do,” Cutrona said.  “It you don’t score there are no brownie points.”

Demison’s goal forced Fresno to completely change its strategy for the second half, he said.
“They came out with a completely different lineup with three forwards up top to apply more pressure.  We never gave them any real opportunities.”

Edgar Placensia, a sophomore midfielder from Wasco, scored the clincher on a shot from about 25 yards out after taking a pass from Jose Gonzalez.

Roberto Gonzalez, a sophomore from Taft High, recorded his fourth shutout in a row with five saves.  He ranks 10th in the state among goalkeepers.

Fresno, the defending CVC champion, saw its record slip to 1-1 in the conference and 6-4-1 overall.
Despite the win, the Cougars slipped from No. 1 to No. 2 in the state power rankings.

City College of San Francisco moved into the top spot with a scoreless tie against No. 5 Hartnell College.

After making the trip to play American River, the remainder of the schedule favors the Cougars.  Six of their eight matches are at home.

Cougars Take No. 1 Ranking Into Fresno City
by Dennis McCall
Taft Midway Driller
October 4, 2012

Taft College men's soccer team is currently 8-0-2
The target on the back of the Taft College men’s soccer team just got bigger as the Cougars head into today’s crucial Central Valley Conference game at Fresno City College.

Tuesday’s 2-0 non-conference win over Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga vaulted the Cougars into the top spot in the state’s power rankings. “Our standards keep getting higher,” said head coach Angelo Cutrona, whose team remained unbeaten at 8-0-2.  “It will be interesting to see how we deal with it.  Going undefeated is a tough task.  Any team can knock you off.”
Fresno would like to be that team.

The Rams have worn the conference crown the last four seasons by finding ways to beat Taft.
“They hit some rough going early in the season but are playing with a lot of confidence now,” Cutrona said of the Rams (6-3-1).

Today’s game marks a transition for the Cougars, who have been mostly playing southern California teams.  Nine of TC’s opponents are southlanders.  The lone exception was last week’s conference opening win at West Hills-Lemoore. “We’ve been playing southern California teams, and we’ve done a good job,” Cutrona said.  “Now the question is: what are we going to do against the north?”

With the exception of a non-conference game with San Bernardino Valley, TC’s 10 remaining games are against northern schools.

In the win at Chaffey, sophomore forward Roberto Mariscal scored both goals, and both, in Cutrona’s words, “were incredible goals.” The first came in the 20th minute off a pass from Eddie Lopez. “He made great athletic plays and showed great technique and skill,” the coach said. He gave a lot of credit to his defense.

“Chaffey uses three forwards up top, which puts a lot of pressure on the defense,” Cutrona said.  “We were ready.  I think we caught them off-guard by how prepared we were for that.”
Sophomore keeper Roberto Gonzales was up to the challenge, too.

“He had five saves,” Cutrona said.  “He had to defend two or three long shots that they hit very well, but Beto was on top of it.  He didn’t give up any rebounds.  Roberto dealt with it very well.”

The victory gives Cutrona family bragging rights for the next year.  His brother-in-law coaches the Chaffey men’s team and his sister the women’s team.

The Cougars expect a physical game from Fresno. “They always have bigger, beefier guys,” Cutrona said.  “Fresno never lacks in size and strength.  You always have to deal with their physicality.”

The Rams have scored 18 goals in their last five games. The Cougars are ranked 11th in the nation in this week’s National Soccer Coaches Association poll.

California Top 10:
1. Taft (8-0-2) 2. Cerritos (6-2-2) 3. San Francisco (8-0-1) 4. Santa Ana (4-1-1) 5. Modesto (7-2-2) 6. Golden West (6-1-2) 7. Lassen (5-1-3) 8. Mt. San Antonio (8-1-0) 9. L.A. Harbor (6-2-2 10. Feather River (7-3-1)

Big Week Ahead for Cougar Men's Soccer
by Dennis McCall
Taft Midway Driller
October 1, 2012

This week is shaping up as the most important one of the season for the Taft College men’s soccer team with two crucial games – both on the road.

The Cougars head south Tuesday for a non-conference game against Chaffey College (7-2-1) and north Friday for an important Central Valley Conference outing against defending champion Fresno City College (5-3-1).

“This is a crucial week for us,” said head coach Angelo Cutrona, who saw his team improve to 7-0-2 last Friday with a 2-0 win over West Hills-Lemoore in the conference opener for both schools.

For sure, no one is more keyed up about the week than Cutrona.

The Chaffey match-up is personal. “This one will be for family bragging rights,” he said.  “My brother-in-law is the head coach.” And, to make it more interesting, his sister, Grace Cutrona, is the head coach of Chaffey’s women’s team. “I was the pioneer in the family in going into coaching,” he said.  “We’ve had some success and they have watched us play quite a bit, so they know how we coach and how we play.  It should be interesting.”

Chaffey men’s coach Ben Cooper has had some success too. “They’ve been in the playoffs the last four years,” Cutrona said.

The Fresno game is personal too.

Even though the Cougars always go farther in the playoffs than Fresno, the Rams have snatched the conference crown away the last four years. “One of our goals this year is to not let that happen again,” he said.  “They seem to have a knack for pulling out the win when it counts the most.”

In Friday’s win over West Hills-Lemoore the Cougars dominated throughout with steady play but had trouble finishing their opportunities, especially in the first half. “It was zero-zero at the end of the first half, and that was a little discouraging and disappointing,” Cutrona said.  “We played well and out-possessed them.”

Trevon Demison broke the scoring drought with his goal off an assist from Juan Carlos Gonzalez and Ramiro Barraza sealed it with his goal off a pass from Gerardo Gonzalez. “We seemed to be playing with a casual attitude, and that really scares me as a coach,” Cutrona said.  “But once we got that first goal I knew we were in good shape. “I felt we dominated the entire game.  When it was over I looked at the scoreboard and saw that we out-shot them 18-6.  It didn’t seem like we had that many legitimate shots on goal or that they had that many either, but maybe we did.”

Last Gasp Goals Keep Cougar Men's Soccer Team Undefeated
by Dennis McCall
Taft Midway Driller
September 24, 2012

LONG BEACH – Two breakaway goals off long crossing passes in extra time Friday gave the Taft College a 4-2 non-conference men's soccer victory over Long Beach City College.

The late heroics kept the twice-tied Cougars unbeaten at 5-0-2 heading into today's game at Oxnard College (4-1-1), ranked No. 8 in the state. The Cougars are 17th in the state but No. 12 on the national soccer coaches poll.

"I felt like it was slipping away from us," said Cougar head coach Angelo Cutrona before the late heroics. "We called attack mode, and I was very happy with the way we executed."

Midfielder Gerardo Gonzalez, a freshman from Wasco, took a long crossing pass from Roberto Mariscal on a breakaway and rifled a shot past Long Beach goalkeeper Jorge Becerra for what essentially was the game-winner.

The Cougar defense contained the Vikings last-ditch attack and got another breakaway pass from Juan Carlos Gonzalez that Jose Gonzalez shot past Becerra just seconds before the whistle blew.

Cutrona was pleased with the way his team came back after Long Beach scored two second half goals to pull into a tie. "We were able to execute well despite tired legs late in the game," he said.

The Cougars had to finish without leading scorer Ramiro Barraza, who was injured during a hard collision with a Long Beach player. Barraza had two first-half goals.
They also were without the services of Trevon Demison, who had to sit out after drawing two yellow cards in the previous game. "He's such a versatile player," Cutrona said. "He can play midfield and in the back. Against Long Beach I would have had him in the back to guard against back-door balls. Both of Long Beach's goals were back-door."

In addition to his crucial goal, Gerardo Gonzalez had an assist on Barraza's first goal – a header that came 17 minutes into the game.

Julio Lopez got the assist on Barraza's second goal – a breakaway in the 26th minute.
Cougar goalie Roberto Gonzalez had three saves.

Cutrona expects a tough game today on the coast. "I haven't scouted Oxnard, but I know they have five or six really talented athletes," he said. "They have good size in the back where it counts. The key for us will be to stick to our game-plan."

Barraza's Hat Trick Not Enough, TC Ties Cerritos
by Dennis McCall
Taft Midway Driller
September 20, 2012

Ramiro Barraza had a hat trick but Taft College could not capitalize on a man advantage Tuesday and settled for a 3-all non-conference soccer tie with Cerritos College in Norwalk.

The Cougars remain undefeated, however, and will take a 4-0-2 record into today’s 4 p.m. game at Long Beach City College that will be streamed live over the Internet at www.socalcollegesports.com

“It’s a first for us to get that kind of coverage,” said head coach Angelo Cutrona.
The Cougars blanked LBCC 3-0 when the teams played here two weeks ago, and that has the coach worried. “Long Beach is a good team, and we can’t afford to be complacent,” Cutrona said.  “The first time we played we didn’t have as much control as I would have liked.”

The Cerritos game was, in a word, weird. “It was a weird game, but one that was fun to watch for the spectators,” Cutrona said.  “Not so much for the coaches.”

All of the scoring was done in the first half.

Barraza broke the scoring ice early by beating Cerritos goalie Brett Hughes to a loose ball 8:49 into the game. The Falcons wasted no time getting even on a header just over a minute later.

Barraza, a freshman forward from Bakersfield High, got behind the Cerritos defense at the 22:18 mark and sent a low shot into the back of the net to put the Cougars up again.

A little luck helped Cerritos draw even again when an errant pass deflected off another Falcon and ricocheted past Cougar keeper Roberto Gonzalez at 33:29. Six minutes later Cerritos midfielder Oscar Enriquez was whistled for a cleats-up red card that gave the Cougars a man up, Cutrona said. Barraza took advantage with an open-net goal at the 40-minute mark to put the Cougars ahead once again.

However, the Falcons pressed the TC defense and drew even again with 10 seconds left in the half on an indirect free kick in the penalty box after the Cougars were called for a high kick.
That was the last time either team would score.

TC surrendered the man advantage with 13 minutes left in the game when Trevon Demison earned his second yellow card and was ejected.

Cutrona said his team missed a number of go-ahead shots in the second half, including “several legitimate point-blank shots.  We had six or seven good shots that didn’t go in.”
Still, the game could have gone either way, he said. “It could easily have ended up 6-3 in our favor,” he said.  “And, we could have lost 4-3.  It was that kind of game.”

While Barraza got the goals, Eddie Lopez and Jose Gonzalez had assists. Roberto Gonzalez, who prepped at Taft High, recorded four saves in the Cougar net.
The game was a match-up of the state’s No. 9 team (Cerritos) and No. 10 team (Taft), but even though it was a standoff on the Falcons’ home field, Cerritos moved up a notch in the power rankings while the Cougars slipped to No. 14.

TC is ranked 12th in the nation on the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll released Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Cougar women suffered their second consecutive five-goal loss.

After losing to Mt. San Antionio 6-1 last week, the Cougars were shut out at East Los Angeles Tuesday, 5-0. “We just weren’t focused,” said head coach Myisha Cutrona.  “We came out flat and gave up early goals.  We just didn’t show up.  We played like we had other thoughts on our mind.  Our immaturity really showed.”

TC Men Fit to be Tied, But Remain Undefeated
by Dennis McCall
Taft Midway Driller
September 13, 2012

After three straight wins to open the season, the Taft College men’s soccer team on Tuesday fought visiting East Los Angeles to a 1-all standoff but hopes to get back on track today when the Cougars host Los Angeles Mission.

Action begins at 3 p.m. on the 10th and San Emidio field.

Ramiro Barraza headed in a pass from Julio Lopez with about 15 minutes left to pull the Cougars into a tie even though they were down a man after captain Edgar Plascensia was re-carded for using a profane adjective.

“That’s when we turned it up a notch,” said head coach Angelo Cutrona.  “We had two chances to go ahead but could have done better.”

The East L.A. goalkeeper made a nifty save on a penalty kick by Julio Lopez and Barraza missed on an open net header earlier in the game. “It’s funny,” Cutrona said.  “He missed with an open net five minutes earlier, then put it away when he was well marked.”

The tie broke a three-game win streak to open the season.

Cutrona didn’t think his team played particularly well. “We didn’t play well against Long Beach but won 3-0,” he said.  “I thought we took another step back (Tuesday).”

He hopes his team will be eager to get some rhythm back today. “I want us to be a little ticked off,” he said.  “We need to show we are not going backward.”

Plus, he wants some bounce heading into next Tuesday’s road game against perennial Southern California power Cerritos. “It’s going to be a true test for us.”

Barraza's Two Goals Power Taft College Men Past Santa Barbara
by Dennis McCall
Taft Midway Driller
September 6, 2012

Freshman forward Ramiro Barraza turned in another sterling performance Wednesday by scoring two goals that powered the Taft College men's team to a 3-1 non-conference victory over Santa Barbara City College.

The win improved the Cougars' early season record to 2-0 heading into this afternoon's home match with Long Beach City College (1 p.m.)

An early Santa Barbara goal on a penalty kick didn't rattle the Cougars.
Instead, they came back with a pair of goals for a 2-1 halftime edge and then cemented the win with Barraza's second goal. "We just went back to playing our game after giving up the early goal," said head coach Angelo Cutrona. "It was nice to see that."

He thought the near 100-degree heat quickly wore down the team from the coast.

"After the first half I felt the Taft heat worked in our favor," he said."
He also liked his team's intensity.

"We were everywhere. I thought we controlled the rhythm and the tempo throughout. At one point in the second half Santa Barbara decided to sit back and hope for a counterattack, but it really backfired on them."

After the Vaqueros scored at about the 10-minute mark on a penalty kick Barraza, a freshman from Bakersfield High, tied it after taking a pass from midfielder Andy Reyes.

Trevon Demison, another BHS product, scored the go-ahead goal on an assist from Julio Lopez and Barraza put it away with his second goal. Andres Iniguez got the assist.

Taft High product Roberto Gonzalez worked the goal for the Cougars but his teammates did a good job of keeping the Vaquero offense in check.

"They had a couple of chances but Roberto, as usual, did a good job," Cutrona said. "Our guys made it a pretty easy day for him, though. I was really happy with our defense."

On Tuesday, TC dropped a 3-0 decision to Santa Barbara.

Directions to Taft Union High School Soccer Field from Southern California: