MEN'S SOCCER POSTS BIG WIN OVER SBCC, 3-1

SANTA MARIA-- The Allan Hancock College men's soccer team turned in its best overall performance of the season in a key 3-1 Western State Conference win over visiting Santa Barbara today.

Hancock (6-5-2, 4-3-2 WSC) trailed 1-0 at the half to a Santa Barbara team it had lost to, 5-0, back on Sept. 16. But the Bulldogs rallied to win the second half, 3-0, by far their best period of the 2003 campaign.

"We finally pit it all together today," said Head Coach Al Garcia. "Offensively, defensivlely and goal keeping. I was especially proud of the way we kept our composure after falling behind in the first half. It was a total team effort."

Garcia praised the efforts of center-back Mauricio Miranda, center-midfielder Brett Mullinax, forward Francisco Calderon, fullback Chris Bessemer and goal-keeper George Hunter.

Santa Barbara scored off a free kick that defleted off the back of a Bulldog defender in the 10th minute of the contest. The teams then settled into a rugged defensive battle for the remainder of the first half.

Hancock finally broke the ice in the 54th minute, when Mullinax scored on a pass from Calderon to tie it . Just five minutes later, Calderon scored an unassisted goal on a beautiful 28-yard kick that froze the SBCC keeper. He closed out the scoring on a short-range rebound assisted by Miranda in the 87th minute.

The Bulldogs will play the first of five consecutive road matches at L.A. Mission on Tuesday.