Folsom Lake College women's soccer claimed the top spot in the statewide California community college rankings for the first time this season.
The Falcons jumped from No. 3 to No. 1 in the Oct. 20 California Community College Sports Information Association (3CSIA) poll, which is voted on by sports information professionals across the state. Folsom Lake finished with 246 points and two first-place votes, according to the 3CSIA poll results.
The team carried a 12-0-2 record when the poll was released. The Falcons have since improved to 13-0-2 after beating American River 2-1 on Tuesday, Oct. 20, according to the FLC athletics website. Folsom Lake is one of six teams in the state still without a loss.
The margin at the top is thin. City College of San Francisco and Santiago Canyon share the No. 2 spot at 237 points, just nine behind the Falcons. Previous No. 1 Long Beach City dropped to No. 4 with 233 points despite collecting seven first-place votes, the most of any team. Saddleback rounds out the top five at 229 points. The 3CSIA's poll narrative noted the Falcons' hold on the top spot "is tenuous at best," with five other teams finishing above 200 points.
The climb has been steady. In the season's first 3CSIA poll, released Oct. 6, Folsom Lake sat third with 248 points and a 9-0-1 record, trailing Long Beach by five points. Two weeks later, the Falcons leapfrogged the field.
Against American River on Oct. 20, Jada Ardoin scored just 1 minute and 20 seconds into the match. Maylina Ruiz added a second goal in the 39th minute. American River's Breahna Dixon pulled one back in the 64th minute, but goalkeeper Lily Steenburg made 10 saves to preserve the win. The game drew 841 fans to American River College.
Folsom Lake hosts Feather River on Friday, Oct. 23, at 3 p.m. and Cosumnes River on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 1 p.m.
