The Oxnard College Men’s soccer team won the California State Championship Title in a match against defending champions Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) on Sunday with a final score of 2-1. The competition was held by the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) and hosted by American River College in Sacramento. Oxnard College last appeared in the state championship in 2015 when its Condors defeated Evergreen Valley College to claim the title.
The match was initially delayed by a rainstorm, which never quite left the area. Mud and wet grass plagued both teams throughout the game. Twenty-two minutes into the match, Oxnard player Odin Rosten scored a 22-yard goal to put the Condors up 1-0. Mt. SAC later responded by tying the game with a penalty kick in the 45th minute after Oxnard’s Edwin Hernandez was carded for a foul.
With only four minutes left in the game, Rosten split through two defenders to kick a shot past Mt. SAC’s goalkeeper for what would become Oxnard’s winning goal. Rosten, who scored both goals, was named the game’s “Most Valuable Player of the Final Four.”
“It’s been an incredible season and the entire Oxnard community can be extremely proud of their boys,” shared Ross Greaney, Oxnard College’s head men’s soccer coach. “While it’s easy to see this team’s talent on the field, what you don’t always see is their dedication to the team, their diligence to earn good grades, and their resolve to represent our community in the best way. We are extremely fortunate to live in a community where young people blossom like these men.”
The championship title marked the end of an impressive 2022 season for Oxnard College. After an undefeated 10-0 record in conference, the Condors secured their third consecutive Western State Conference (WSC) North Championship Title. The team won 17 games in a row following their only season loss to Mt. SAC in September. During the playoffs, the Condors notched three shutout games and scored a total of 14 goals while giving up only two. They finished the season with an overall record of 22-1-1.
“Soccer runs deep here at Oxnard College, where we have a long tradition of excellence,” said Dr. Oscar Cobian, acting president of Oxnard College. “Beating out better-funded teams to become number one in California is an incredible achievement. Our community loves this team -- we’re so proud of the victory they’ve secured for themselves, our campus, and the city of Oxnard.”
“Coach Greaney has built one of the strongest soccer teams in California and created a real gem in our athletic department,” said Jonas Crawford, director of athletics at Oxnard College. “This team put in the work, leaned on each other and played a beautiful season we’ll never forget.”
The championship game marked the season’s end for CCCAA, which oversees the intercollegiate athletic activities of nearly 24,000 student-athletes across all California community colleges.
Planning is underway to celebrate Oxnard College’s victory. For more information, contact Oxnard College’s director of outreach and marketing, James Schuelke, at 805-678-5275 or jschuelke@vcccd.edu.