Napa Valley College men's soccer team picks up win, 3-2

The starters for the Napa Valley College men’s soccer team (Courtesy photo)

Posted: Nov 05, 2024

First photo: Napa Valley College and City College of San Francisco played earlier in the year.

Second photo: Folsom Lake College and Napa Valley College played earlier in the year.

Photos by Marty James

By MARTY JAMES

martyjames.sports@gmail.com

Yair Rafael-Gaspar scored two goals in the second half as the Napa Valley College men's soccer team won its Bay Valley Conference match over host Merritt College-Oakland, 3-2, on Monday, Nov. 4.

It was a make-up game from Oct. 18.

Napa Valley (3-11-3 overall, 3-4-2 Bay Valley) also got a goal from Emmanuel Hurtado.

Merritt was ahead in the game, leading 1-0 and 2-1.

But Napa Valley came back.

Merritt scored the first goal of the game, at the 20^th minute of the first half.

Hurtado, a sophomore midfielder, scored a goal at the 35-minute mark of the first half to tie it, 1-1. The assist was credited to Mateo Villanueva-Martinez, a sophomore midfielder.

Merritt went ahead, 2-1 in the 70^th minute of the second half.

Rafael-Gaspar, a sophomore forward, scored the tying and winning goals in the second half for the Storm.

Rafael-Gaspar scored the tying goal at the 80^th minute. The assist went to Gedeon Ilunga, a sophomore forward.

Rafael-Gaspar scored the winning goal at the 85^th minute. Gabriel Cendejas, a sophomore defender, was credited with the assist.

Angel Olvera-Vega had two saves at goal keeper in 90 minutes for the Storm.

Napa Valley's next game is Friday, Nov. 8 as it plays at Contra Costa College-San Pablo.

* 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.