Men’s soccer: OCC moves on

Tony Altobelli

COSTA MESA - No suspensions were handed out to any Orange Coast

College men’s soccer players as a result of a fight during the Pirates

game with Cypress College Tuesday.

“With all the reports we’ve read from the players, coaches and

officials, we’ve determined that no OCC player will be suspended,”

Athletic Director Jane Hilgendorf said. “There was a player, however,

that did receive a red card 10 minutes earlier in a separate incident and

he will miss the final game of the season.”

According to Hilgendorf, the reports she received from head coach

Laird Hayes as well as numerous players, coincided with the report

written by the head official of the game.

“It was really an altercation more than a ‘bench-clearing brawl’ in

regards to the event,” Hilgendorf said. “There was only one red card

issued in the altercation and that was to the Cypress player that hit

(Pirates goalkeeper) Carlos Loza.”

That Cypress player was given a red card for “violent conduct” and

will be suspended the final two games of the Chargers’ season.

With the game deadlocked at 2-2, a skirmish broke out on the field and

both benches emptied onto the field.

Loza suffered a broken nose and Ken Yanagimachi suffered a cut below

his right eye in the brawl, which lasted about a minute and ended the

game.

“Obviously, it was a very unfortunate incident,” Hilgendorf said.

“It’s something that we will address to the coaches and players of other

teams regarding emotional play and violent conduct.”