COD Men’s Soccer pushes past the Coyotes, 5-1

College of the Desert (8-8-2, 4-3-1) scored four second-half goals, two from freshman Jairo Alcaraz, as the Roadrunners made good use of their reserves in a 5-1 win over winless Cerro Coso (0-14, 0-8) on Friday.

It was the first time the Coyotes have played in Palm Desert in program history. Both meetings between the two teams in 2025 were forfeit wins for the Roadrunners.

With COD having beaten Cerro Coso 7-0 on October 16, the Roadrunners used the rematch to give players with limited starts and minutes a chance to show the home crowd what they could do. Cerro Coso traveled with only 12 players, but the first half was a stalemate for much of the way.

The Roadrunners broke through in the 35th minute. Sophomore midfielder Nefthali Lopez (Cathedral City H.S.) delivered his fifth assist of the season to sophomore forward Jonathan Price (La Quinta H.S.), who scored his fifth goal for a 1-0 lead. That score held through halftime.

COD wasted little time after the break. In the 50th minute, Alcaraz scored his seventh goal of the season off a corner from sophomore forward Malakai Martinez (Palm Springs H.S.), his fifth assist, making it 2-0.

Alcaraz struck again in the 55th minute on a feed from freshman forward Nathaniel Fimbres (La Quinta H.S.), Fimbres' second assist of the year. The goal was Alcaraz's team-leading eighth and his second multi-goal game of the season, extending the lead to 3-0.

Cerro Coso answered in the 65th minute for its sixth goal of the season, but COD replied less than two minutes later. Freshman midfielder Emilio Lucio (Rancho Mirage H.S.) scored his second of the year on an assist from Alcaraz, his third, to make it 4-1.

Just before the final whistle, freshman forward Iker Sabillon Aguirre (Rancho Mirage H.S.) added his fourth goal of the season, set up by freshman defenseman Toa Takahashi (Ōtsuka, Japan / Nihon Uni. Buzan) on his first assist of the year, to close the scoring.

Freshman goalkeeper Leonardo Castro (Holtville H.S.) made his eighth start of the season and stopped three shots. Sophomore goalkeeper Henzel Solares (Indio H.S.) played the second half.

Up next: The Roadrunners travel to Victor Valley on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, for a rematch with the Rams. They return home for Sophomore Night on Friday, November 6, at 5 p.m. against the Chaffey Panthers.

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For additional information, please contact the COD Sports Information Office at 760.423.6641.

Information & Story provided by COD Sports Information. Photo by Darbie Catalfamo Photography.