The Pirate soccer team got a pair of goals from Audrey Castillo Tuesday night at the Sportsplex, defeating Oxnard College 2-0 to open Western State Conference North Division play. The Pirates produced 30 shots in the game with 20 on goal in controlling play on the offensive end for most of the night. Goalie Eva Mcmillan had one save in recording the shutout over the Condors.
Although the Pirates (5-7-2, 1-0) possessed the ball for much of play in the opening 45 minutes, their offensive chances seemed limited. Ventura managed a pair of corner kicks in the half, and Sirena Romero's corner in the 34th minute bounced around in front of the goal before being cleared by the Condors. Paulina Aldrete had another solid scoring chance in the 41st minute but came up empty as well. The teams were tied 0-0 at halftime.
The Pirates took control early in the second half. Nine minutes into the period, Aldrete sent a ball from the left side across the field to the upper right corner of the penalty box. There, Castillo settled the ball and shot a rocket to the upper left corner of the goal for VC's first score. Three minutes later the Condors' attempt to equalize was turned back by Mcmillan. In the 60th minute, Justine Reyes sent a ball toward the net but was denied. Aldrete had another shot on goal in the 63rd minute, and Ventura continued to press for their second goal. In the 75th minute, Castillo cashed in a free kick off on Oxnard foul, placing the 25 yard shot from the left side perfectly in the upper right portion of the goal, giving the Pirates a commanding 2-0 advantage. Ventura was able to maintain the margin for the final result.
The Pirates will host Cuesta in their next outing. Kickoff against the Cougars is scheduled for 6:00 pm on Friday Oct. 13 at the VC Sportsplex.