In its first two non-conference soccer games, the Bakersfield College Renegades have gotten off to a solid 1-1 start to the season. After coming off a shutout 3-0 victory over College of the Sequoias on Sept. 4, BC failed to come away with back to back home victories by falling 1-0 against (3-0) Ventura College Sept. 6.

BC had its chance in the first half and the first part of the second half but couldn’t find a way to get the ball through the net.  Sophomore goalkeeper, Jena Seals, had 13 saves before Ventura’s freshman Miranda Campos connected on a goal at the midway point in the second half of the game to lift her team to a 1-0 victory.

“It’s a good team,” said BC head coach Scott Dameron.  “I think we actually played much better soccer. It was a much higher intensity level overall today.  I’m pleased with the way we played. It hurts to lose. It hurts to give up the goal late. We were hoping we could hold them off a little bit longer, but our team played fantastic,” he added.

Though the team lost to a tough Pirate team, Dameron still feels that the team has grown and has gotten better than they were when they shut out COS 3-0.

Against COS, Reshana Watson was able to ease in and come away with two goals.  She was one shy of the hat-trick and nearly got it before getting caught in a scramble with a few COS defenders, which allowed her teammate, captain Halle Meadows, to come away with the ball and score the late goal.

“It’s always good to score three goals,” Dameron said when asked what he liked about the first game of the season.  “I was pleased with the balls we were playing in. We did a good job of getting the goals. We didn’t have a ton of shots but I thought we did a good job of finishing the chances that we had.”

The Renegades will play their road opener on Sept. 25 in Vallejo when they take on Solano College.  The Renegades beat the Falcons 1-0 last season at BC.

Among those in attendance at BC home opener was interim athletic director Sandi Taylor and school president Sonya Christian.