With only three games left in the season, the time is now for the LPC men’s soccer team to make that final push for the playoffs.
“It’s crunch-time,” Head Coach Larry Aguiar said. “We know what we have to do to get to the postseason.”
The Hawks took a blow to their place in the rankings when they fell short on Tuesday night to conference rival Hartnell College by a score of 2-1.
Even with the loss, the Hawks are still 11th in the North Region rankings thanks to their recent success.
Their three games prior to the loss saw the Hawks win the first two against West Valley College and Skyline College. The third game was a tie on Nov. 2 against Monterey Peninsula College. The team has won eight of its past 11 games.
If the season were to end today, the Hawks’ 11th place ranking in the North Region would be good enough to qualify for the playoffs.
The Hawks travel to Gilroy on Nov. 8 to face Gavilan College. With a record of 5-12, Gavilan appears to be a team LPC should beat, but the players can’t afford to look past any opponent at this point.
“The ball is in our court,” Sophomore Forward Jesus Carriedo said. “Every game is a must-win. If we win, we’re in.”
After Gavilan, LPC will close the season out with consecutive home games. The first will be against Evergreen College on Nov. 12 and the season finale takes place on November 15 against Canada College.