GRITTY GLADS WALLOP MONTEREY

The Chabot men's soccer team delivered a statement win that flattered the program and two solid defensive efforts against strong opponents in recent action.
The Gladiators routed Monterey Peninsula 4-0 in cross-conference play on Oct. 8, and then went 0-1-1 in Coast-North action, falling to Cañada 2-0 on Friday, Oct. 11 and drawing with Cabrillo 0-0 on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
The home win over Monterey put the Glads' impressive depth on display.
"This was a strong performance," Chabot head coach Geoff Aguiar said. "We were able to get minutes in the game for most of the team, with several players making their collegiate debut."
The Glads wanted to put Monterey on its heels early with an aggressive start. The mindset paid off. Alejandro Juarez scored on a great shot in the third minute off an assist from Hamzah Gaphoor.
The Glads (5-4-3, 0-1-1) poured it on from there, creating numerous chances while limiting the opponent's opportunities.
"A cool marker of the well-rounded team performance, we had four different goalscorers and four different players with assists," Aguiar said.
Mick Carlson made it 2-0 in the 28th minute off a Sebastian Rivadeneyr assist. Aliou Fall upped the lead in the 33rd minute off a Juan Gonzalez assist, and Eloy Sierra rounded out the scoring in the 63rd minute assisted by Nikolai Gonzalez.
Next, the Glads played tough defense in the loss to powerful Cañada, but the bounces didn't go their way. Aguiar described the first goal allowed in the 30th minute as "unlucky." Goalkeeper Colin Nestor made the save initially, but the ball bounced off the post and then off his back and rolled in. The Colts' second goal — also by Noah Lake — came on a penalty kick in the 42nd minute.
Against Cabrillo, the Glads staved off a strong start by host side over the first 15 minutes, but Nestor made some huge early saves.
"We settled into the game, and had our moments to counterattack with some opportunities to score," Aguiar said. "Standout performances from Colin and defender Luis Ponce IV. Ended in a 0-0 tie, great to earn that result on the road in conference."
Chabot will visit East Bay-rival Ohlone on Friday before hosting Gavilan the following Tuesday. Kickoff is 4 p.m.