Season Recap: Women's Soccer

The Corsairs finished off their season with a positive record and got third place in the Western State Conference (WSC) Southern Division.

Santa Monica College Corsairs' Ali Alban and Sophie Doumitt (right), and Bakersfield College Renegades' Halle Knox (9) and Olga Amador (center right) during the women's soccer match on Friday, Oct. 20, 2022, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs tied 1-1. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsairs)

Bakersfield College Renegades' Jasmine Hinojosa and Santa Monica College Corsairs' Sophie Doumitt during the women's soccer match on Friday, Oct. 20, 2022, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs tied 1-1. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsairs)

Santa Monica College Corsairs Women's Soccer Head Coach Aaron Benditson during the women's soccer match against the Bakersfield College Renegades on Friday, Oct. 20, 2022, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs tied 1-1. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsairs)

Santa Monica College Corsairs' Alexia Mallahi, Charlie Kayemm, Breanne Maldonado, and Bakersfield College Renegades' Mariah Myers-Caldarella during the women's soccer match on Friday, Oct. 20, 2022, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs tied 1-1. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsairs)

Santa Monica College Corsairs' Goalie Johana Ventureno during the women's soccer match against the Bakersfield College Renegades on Friday, Oct. 20, 2022, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs tied 1-1. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsairs)

Members of the Santa Monica College Corsairs Women's Soccer team celebrate celebrate Jacky Hernandez' (15) unassisted goal during the match against the Bakersfield College Renegades on Friday, Oct. 20, 2022, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs tied 1-1. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsairs)

Santa Monica College Corsairs' Sophie Doumitt during the women's soccer match against the Bakersfield College Renegades on Friday, Oct. 20, 2022, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs tied 1-1. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsairs)

Santa Monica College Corsairs' Jacky Hernandez during the women's soccer match against the Bakersfield College Renegades on Friday, Oct. 20, 2022, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs tied 1-1. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsairs)

Santa Monica College Corsairs' Jacky Hernandez and Bakersfield College Renegades' Jasmine Hinojosa fight for the ball during the women's soccer match on Friday, Oct. 20, 2022, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs tied 1-1. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsairs)

Bakersfield College Renegades Women's Soccer Head Coach Egar Linares and Santa Monica College Corsairs Women's Soccer Head Coach Aaron Benditson call out to players from the sideline during the women's soccer match on Friday, Oct. 20, 2022, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs tied 1-1. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsairs)

Bakersfield College Renegades' Goalie Katelyn Gonzales, Myla Chow, and Santa Monica College Corsairs' Alicia Edberg during the women's soccer match on Friday, Oct. 20, 2022, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs tied 1-1. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsairs)

Santa Monica College Corsairs' Emma Rierstam (right) takes a ball to the head during the women's soccer match against the Bakersfield College Renegades on Friday, Oct. 20, 2022, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs tied 1-1. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsairs)

Bakersfield College Renegades' Mariah Myers-Caldarella and Santa Monica College Corsairs' Sophie Doumitt during the women's soccer match on Friday, Oct. 20, 2022, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs tied 1-1. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsairs)

Bakersfield College Renegades' Camila Moncada (left) got a yellow card for her head-to-head collision against Santa Monica College Corsairs' Jacky Hernandez (bottom right) during the women's soccer match on Friday, Oct. 20, 2022, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs tied 1-1. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsairs)

Santa Monica College Corsairs' Mathilda Isaksson (right) embraces Jacky Hernandez (left) after Hernandez was removed from the game against the Bakersfield College Renegades due to injury on Friday, Oct. 20, 2022, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs tied 1-1. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsairs)

The Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs women’s soccer team finished off their season with a 13-7-3 overall record, and in third place in the Western State Conference (WSC) Southern Division with a 8-4-2 record. That set them up to be the No. 14 seeded team for the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Southern California Regional Playoffs.

In their first round of the playoffs, the Corsairs got revenge on their division foes, Bakersfield College, beating them 1-0 after not winning a single game against them during the regular season. They moved on to the second round of playoffs where they played the No. 3 seeded Saddleback college, and on Saturday, Nov. 19, they lost to Saddleback College 6-0, spelling the end of the season for the Corsairs.

Head Coach Aaron Benditson reflected on the season and was proud of the team for the challenges they faced along the way. One challenge in particular was injuries that sidelined some normal starters and players. That challenge allowed other players to step up and shine throughout the season.

“There’s an emotional component going through the season, and for us to get through all of that and still feel happy about the work that we’ve done and how we represented ourselves, the school, the program – I just feel really positive about the work that was done this year,” Benditson said.

Benditson also touched upon their postseason run and the final game in particular, sad but not mad about it.

“For us to go out against the eventual state champion, I feel – I mean obviously I was sad when that happened – but if we were going to go out against anybody, I'd rather it be them,” Benditson said.

Overall, Benditson was happy with how the season turned out. He hopes the graduating players move on to “bigger and better things” and is looking forward to the team doing even better next year so long as the staff and players stay as dedicated as they could to the program because as Benditson likes to remind them, “it takes a village.”