Monarchs drop a close contest against College of the Canyons as season comes to an end

Off-season training helped the women’s soccer team make big strides over last year. 

By: Alejandro Garcia, Sports Editor  

Hazel Caro (27) scored two goals Tuesday at in a match against College of the Canyons. The Cougars defeated the Monarchs 3-2 to end their seasons. (Lourdes Rosales Lepe for the Valley Star)

The 2025 Valley women’s soccer season ended Tuesday after a dramatic 3-2 loss against College of the Canyons. The Monarchs needed a win in order to advance to the Western State Conference playoffs.

However, not all was lost as the Monarchs ended the year with marked improvement over last season. The team tripled its win total from last year while compiling a 9-9-4 mark. Last year, the Monarchs finished at 3-14-4. The 6-win difference gave head coach Jonathan Horst hope as credited the team’s off-season training as part of the success. 

“I’m proud of every single person on this roster,” he said. “Everyone was training five days a week throughout summer.”

One of the team’s biggest wins of the season came against the division champions, Santa Monica College. The Monarchs hit the road and blanked the Corsairs 1-0. Yet, the Monarchs were unable to build momentum from the win and recorded a 2-1-4 mark over the next seven games. 

The roller-coaster season required Valley to notch a win against College of the Canyons in order to keep playing.

Tuesday’s match started off quiet on the offensive end with the Monarchs prowling on the attack with their wingers, but they were unable to take a shot on goal. 

Cougar forward Emily Thompson was first on the scoresheet, putting the College of the Canyons up 1-0 at the 8-minute mark. Bailey Williamson added to the lead when she scored a goal in the 23-minute, giving the visitors 2-0 lead. 

Valley winger Hazel Caro cut into the Cougar lead as she put a shot in the back of the net in the 39th minute of play. The goal came on an assist from Haley Mallas. The goal boosted the Monarchs’ spirits and solicited fist pumps from the bench.

Caro struck again five minutes later. She lifted a chip shot over the goalkeeper that bounced off the crossbar and into the net. Caro’s second goal knotted the score at two goals apiece at the break. 

The teams remained knotted more than 30 minutes into the second half until Thompson scored her second goal of the game, lifting the Cougars to a 3-2 lead with under 12 minutes to play. The win clinched the Western State Conference title for the Cougars. 

Despite a rough ending, Caro acknowledged her team’s effort. 

“You know we were down 2-0 in the first, and we never gave up,” said Caro. “What I love about these girls is that they fought through no matter what.”