For Immediate Release

Long Beach City College (23-2-0) 2, Santa Rosa Junior College (20-4-2) 1 (OT)

Santa Rosa — 0 1 0 0— 1

Long Beach — 0 1 1 0 — 2

SR — Jenny Craighead (Alessandra Daina assist) (80^th)

LB — Michelle Bannister (Kim Little assist) (89^th)

LB — Laci Fruner (Jenny Orellana assist) (99^th)

Lemoore, Calif. — Regulation was almost over. The jubilant looks on the faces of the players from the Santa Rosa Junior College women’s soccer said it all. Leading 1-0 with less than a minute left, they were ready to celebrate.

But, as the cliche goes, it ain’t over ‘till it’s over.

Michelle Bannister proved that point when she kicked the ball in the goal from about five yards out following a scramble in front of the Santa Rosa net, tying the game for the Vikings. Kim Little's pass set up Bannister's scooter.

Long Beach City then dominated the two 15-minute overtime periods that followed and beat Santa Rosa 2-1 for the title in the 2000 Hyundai California Community College Women’s Soccer Championship Sunday (Dec. 3) at the Lemoore Sports Complex.

The Vikings took five shots in overtime, while the Bear Cub’s had just one. The winning goal came with six minutes left in the first overtime period, when Jenny Orellana passed the ball in front of the goal, about three feet from the end line. Laci Gruner beat Santa Rosa goalkeeper Esin Akpolat to the ball for what proved to be the winning shot.

The team's played 80 scoreless minutes before Santa Rosa’s Jenny Craighead put the Bear Cubs in front when she put the ball in the net off of a crossing pass from Alessandra Daina. It was only Santa Rosa’s sixth shot of the day.

This is Long Beach's second state championship title. LBCC also won the crown in 1997.

The Vikings had opportunities throughout the game, taking 18 shots, but couldn’t get the ball past Bear Cub goalkeeper Akpolat. She had 11 saves in regulation and 1 in overtime, while Viking goalkeeper Cari Delany had two saves in regulation and one in overtime.

Long Beach City’s Sarah Gibson, a freshman defender, was the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

The Vikings finish the season 23-2, while the Bear Cubs finish 20-4-2.

Santa Rosa 0 1 — 1

Cypress 0 0 — 0

SR — (69^th minute) Ogannaya Dotson-Newman (Jenny Craighead assist)

Long Beach — 0 3 — 3

Ohlone — 0 1 — 1

LB — (60^th minute) Nikki Szlak (Laci Gruner assist)

LB — (64^th minute) Michelle Bannister (unassisted)

LB — (69^th minute) Annette Rivas (Jenny Orellana assist)

O — (82nd minute) Richele Radcliff

Lemoore, Calif. — The Santa Rosa College women’s soccer team (20-3-2) was able to accomplish what many community college women’s soccer team would like to have done.

The Bear Cubs beat two-time defending state champion Cypress College.

The 1-0 semifinal win ended a 79-game unbeaten streak for the Chargers. Cypress’ last loss was in the semifinals of the 1997 Championships; the Chargers had gone 76-0-3 in that stretch. The Orange Empire Conference champions finish the year 22-1-1.

The win will set up a match between Santa Rosa and Long Beach City College for the title of the 2000 Hyundai California Community College Soccer Championships Sunday at noon.

In the 69^th minute, sophomore Ogonnaya Dotson-Newman collected a pass from Jenny Craighead, also a sophomore, and was able to push the 8-yard kick past Charger goalkeeper Angela Orr.

For the afternoon, the Bear Cubs had 12 shots on goal, while the Chargers could muster only eight shots.

Bear Cub goalkeeper Erica Keppel had five saves on the night and Orr a freshman, had 12.

It was the second time in as many games that the Bear Cubs have knocked off an undefeated opponent. In the regional finals, they beat top-seeded American River College 3-1 to earn the trip to Lemoore.

In the second women’s game, Long Beach City College (22-2) advanced easily to the title game on Sunday, beating Ohlone College of Fremont, 3-1.

Although the Vikings didn’t begin scoring until the second half, Ohlone (21-2) was never a threat. Long Beach spent most of the first half on Ohlone’s end of the field.

The scoring for the Vikings took place in a 10-minute span. Sophomore Nikki Szlak headed a ball in at the 60^th minute off of a pass from freshman Laci Gruner. Michelle Bannister followed 4 minutes later when she beat Ohlone goalkeeper Julie Accinelli one-on-one. Freshman Annette Rivas capped the Viking scoring at the 69^th minute off of a pass from sophomore Jenny Orellana.

Ohlone never tested Long Beach keeper Cari Delany; taking only three shots the entire game. Its lone score came in the 82^nd minute, when freshman Richele Radcliff punched home a goal following a ricochet. Radcliff’s goal was the first goal allowed by Delany in the last 13 games.

The title game will mark the second meeting of Santa Rosa and Long Beach this season. The first meeting took place at the Cuesta Cup in September. The Vikings of Long Beach won, 2-0.

Game time is at 10 a.m. at the Lemoore Sports Complex.