By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com

The Napa Valley College men's soccer team is on a big-time roll.

Five straight wins.

Shutouts in the last two matches.

Outstanding play from both the offense and defense.

Solo possession of second place in the Bay Valley Conference.

"We've been playing very well the last few games," said the Storm's Angelo Vivan, a sophomore forward. "As long as we stay together as a team, stay focused throughout each game, minimize mistakes, I think we'll be good."

Host Napa Valley got second-half goals from Vivan and Ulisses Cruz, a freshman midfielder, on the way to a 2-0 win over College of Marin-Kentfield in a key Bay Valley game on Tuesday. It was a matchup of teams tied for second place in the conference standings.

Napa Valley dominated time of possession and got off several shots in the first half, but was not able to score, going into halftime scoreless.

"I thought we played well in the first half. But we were not composed in the attacking third. I thought you can sense it a little bit of pressure of the moment of the game and what it meant," Storm head coach Rogelio Ochoa said. "I thought we had been doing well the last couple of games of beating that pressure.

"I said at halftime, be calm and collected, just do what you've been doing. I think in the second half, we did have a couple more chances, but we were calm and collected in the times when it came to finishing.

"We played well in the first half. Once we got close to their goal, you could sense the players were kind of nervous, kind of felt the pressure a little bit, of the moment. But I think in the second half, we were able to calm down a little bit and stay composed in front of the goal."

Vivan scored in the 68th minute of the second half. The assist went to Cruz.

Teammates celebrated with Vivan on the sideline following the goal.

Cruz scored for NVC in the 78th minute of the second half. The assist went to Octavio Castro, a freshman defender.

Cruz celebrated with teammates on the sideline.

Carl Osifo-Doe had a great game at goal keeper, stopping several shots.

"They're great goals," said Ochoa. "We needed that opener goal – 1-0 to put more pressure on them and open them up and see if they change the style.

"Also credit the goal keeper (Osifo-Doe). He made a great save when we were up 1-0. I think that was their only clear chance. Two really good saves. He kept us in the game and he deserves recognition for the shutout as well."

It's one of the top performances of the year for Napa Valley (8-7 overall, 6-2 Bay Valley). The Storm is also 7-3 over its last 10 games.

"We have momentum. It's a real thing. Guys are confident and we understand that there are still many games to play in conference. So, we're taking it one game at a time. And that's been the mentality," said Ochoa.

"We won today and we look forward to Woodland and preparing for Woodland."

NVC travels on Friday, Oct. 27 to play Woodland Community College (9-5-1 overall, 7-0 Bay Valley), which is in first place. It's a 4 p.m. start.

"We have to go over there and perform," said Ochoa. "We'll see how the conference plays out."

The Storm's defense has been a big key to the team's success. It was NVC's fifth shutout of the season.

"Angel Tapia (sophomore defender) has been our captain, our leader in the back, and he picked up an injury. Isai Mata (freshman forward) stepped in the last three games and has been phenomenal in the back. I think it shows you their leadership and the backline really stepped up," said Ochoa.

It was a fast, physical and intense game, with Napa Valley avenging an earlier season loss to Marin.

"It was very important for us to win this game," said Osifo-Doe. "Coach (Ochoa) gives us the speech (at halftime). We locked in and performed. This win is very, very important."

Vivan said the halftime talk by Ochoa was aimed at keeping focused.

"We were kind of making some simple mistakes. He was just reminding us to stay together and to play with one another, instead of trying to go solo. So, that helped in the second half," said Vivan.

Both goals for Napa Valley were shots from very close range.

Vivan's left-footed shot was into the top left corner of the net.

"It changed the game for us at the beginning of the second half," said Vivan. "I just got a clean, solid hit on it and made sure it went in the back of the net.

"It was a very crucial win for us. We needed to stay composed. That was the biggest, most important thing. Although we didn't score early, we stayed focused throughout the game. It was physical and there was a lot of battles physically, but we stayed focused and we were able to contain the victory."

The second half was the turning point for NVC.

"Our first half, we didn't really show it. And in the second half, we just all switched on and we just wanted to win together," said Cruz. "We just gave it everything."

Cruz leads NVC with eight goals on the season.

* Marty James is a freelance writer who makes his home in Napa. He retired on June 4, 2019 after spending 40 years as a sports writer, sports editor and executive sports editor for the Napa Valley Register, a daily newspaper in Napa County. He is a 1979 graduate of Sacramento State and a member of the California Golf Writers & Broadcasters Association. He was inducted into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame in 2016, the Vintage High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019, and the Napa High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.