Flagstaff, AZ - Ten stalwart Vaqueros hit the road for a non-conference game at Northern Arizona University and pulled out a 13-12 win on the road during spring break. More amazing than that, only nine players suited up. Defender Jennese Bacon (Los Angeles, CA) made the trip but is not yet cleared from a separated shoulder suffered during a rugby practice so she took stats. Bacon plays two sports, as do two other season saving SBCC students Kauai Taylor (Los Angeles, CA) and Asia Quick (Upper Marlboro, MD).

When a seemingly healthy fall ball roster of 18 SBCC players turned into a team of 12 for the spring season the program went recruiting. They found Bacon, Taylor and Quick, who are full-time students at SBCC, and got them out on the field. The three were all beginners but picked up the game quickly. Couple their rookie enthusiasm with the talent and the mental toughness of the experienced players who are sticking it out and the result is a team making it happen for themselves this season. Some additional players have fallen off, resulting in a team that most often plays short, but still they refuse to throw in the towel.

This trip to Flagstaff was a make-up game for a contest with NAU orginally scheduled for February 9th at Arizona State University. That trip came during a pre-season period the Vaqueros were recruiting and reorganzing after the unexpected attrition. The NAU game was postponed and rescheduled for today. At least ten Vaqueros are happy they're persevering.

The rugby recruits and the game loving veterans are two of the stories of the season. The game today was defined by some great teamwork and two sisters. Six different players combined for eight assists while sisters Mari Cajandig (Davis, CA) and Briki Cajandig (Davis, CA) put up some big numbers. UCSB bound sophomore attacker M. Cajandig had 11 goals and 1 assist to lead all scorers. Goalie B. Cajandig had 17 saves while allowing only 12 goals. Brooklyn Gullickson (San Diego, CA) had 2 goals and 2 assists.

"Although we didn't have the numbers, we had the heart. Everyone brought their A game but what really mattered most was how we played together as one strong and motivated team," said M. Cajandig after the game.

SBCC was up 6-4 at halftime and held on with 7 more goals to the Lumberjack's 8 second half goals to not have to deal with overtime short-handed. The Vaqueros improved to 4-5 overall and remain 1-0 in WWLL Central D2. NAU dropped to 3-7 overall and is 2-2 in WWLL South D2. SBCC next plays when they host UNLV at 9:00am on Saturday, April 5th, at UCSB. Three games remaining this season for the Vaqueros are all in April and they are with three WWLL Central D2 teams. The first place team in WWLL Central D2 receives an automatic qualifier spot in the WWLL Championships April 19th - 20th at UCSB.

Santa Barbara, CA - The SBCC women's lacrosse club came up short in a contest with Cal State San Marcos but picked up a 1-0 forfeit win over Cal State Long Beach. The 49ers canceled their season after the schedule deadline to drop games and WWLL by-laws require a result in this situation. Both games were scheduled to be played in double header format today.

The Vaqueros remain tied for first place in WWLL Central Division Two. San Marcos is in WWLL South Division Two. The loss to San Marcos halted a two game win streak for the Vaqueros who were down 8-4 at halftime before a final score of 16-6 in favor of the Cougars. The overall series record evened to two wins apiece for each program in the four times they've met. Each team is 2-0 on the road against each other. The Vaqueros won at San Marcos in 2011 & 2013 and San Marcos won in Santa Barbara in 2012 & 2014.

Sophomore Mari Cajandig (Davis, CA) led SBCC with 5 goals and Kauai Taylor (Los Angeles, CA) scored 1 goal. Megan Guilfoyle (Lake Forest, CA) led all scorers with 7 goals and 4 assists for San Marcos. SBCC goalie Briki Cajandig (Davis, CA) had 9 saves for the Vaqueros. SBCC simultaneously dropped to 2-5, 1-0 and improved to 3-5, 1-0 while San Marcos improved to 6-2 overall.

The eye to keep on the prize for the Vaqueros is the WWLL Central title and the automatic qualifier spot in the WWLL Championships April 19th - 20th at UCSB. SBCC resumes WWLL Central DII play on April 5th and all three remaining games in the division are in Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara, CA - The Vaqueros picked up their second straight win by defeating Cal State Fullerton 10-3 in a game played at UCSB. Originally scheduled to be played at Fullerton the Titans lost their field space and the game was moved to Santa Barbara. It was the WWLL Central Division Two opener for both teams and the win put SBCC in a tie for first place in that division. The winner of WWLL Central receives an automatic qualifer spot in the WWLL Championships April 19th - 20th at UCSB.

SBCC led 8-1 at halftime and sophomore Mari Cajandig (Davis, CA) led the Vaqueros in scoring with 7 goals and 1 assist.  Brooklyn Gullickson (San Diego, CA) had 2 goals and Clair Lofthouse (Thousand Oaks, CA) scored a goal. Briki Cajandig (Davis, CA) had 12 saves against 15 shots.

SBCC improved to 2-4 overall and 1-0 in WWLL Central. Cal State Fullerton dropped to 1-3 overalll and 0-1 in WWLL Central. Up next for the Vaqueros is a non-league game with Cal State San Marcos on Saturday at 12:00pm. Fullerton is playing at the Desert Lacrosse Tournament in Las Vegas.

Irvine, CA - The SBCC women's lacrosse club won 13-5 at UC Irvine to get their first win of the season. The plucky Vaqueros are playing games with no reserves but led 7-2 at halftime. SBCC sophomore Mari Cajandig (Davis, CA) led all scorers with 7 goals and 2 assists. Her sister Briki Cajandig (Davis, CA) had 15 saves on 20 Anteater shots against her. SBCC got scoring from 4 other players as well. Brooklyn Gullickson (San Diego, CA), Marissa Hill (Huntington Beach, CA), Clair Lofthouse (Thousand Oaks, CA) and Kauai Taylor (Los Angeles, CA) combined for 6 goals and 1 assist.

SBCC improved to 1-4 overall while UC Irvine dropped to 3-5 overall.  The Vaqueros next play tomorrow when they face Cal State Fullerton at UCSB at 1:00pm. It is the WWLL Central Division Two opener for both teams. The winner of WWLL Central receives an automatic qualifer spot in the WWLL Championships April 19th - 20th at UCSB.

Santa Cruz, CA - The SBCC women's lacrosse club was down 5-8 at halftime on the road at UC Santa Cruz but rallied to make it interesting and almost tie the game. The Vaqueros ran out of time before they could tie it with their big second half. The final score was Banana Slugs 12, SBCC 11 with the Vaqueros outscoring their opponent 6-4 during the second half rally. The game was a rematch between the two programs that played in the WWLL Division Two championship game last April. In that one UC Santa Cruz won by two goals.

Twenty-two players suited up for the Banana Slugs and sixteen players suited up for SBCC. That head count is a victory, of sorts, for the Vaqueros who played with only ten players last weekend at the Santa Barbara Shootout. The SBCC squad recruited more players and suited up six beginners on their Northern California road trip to play the clubs at Stanford and UC Santa Cruz.

Sophomore Mari Cajandig (Davis, CA) led all scorers with 5 goals and 1 assist for SBCC. Sophomore Megan McCullough (Novato, CA) had 4 goals and 1 assist. Standout goal keeper Briki Cajandig (Davis, CA) had 13 saves. The Vaqueros have next weekend off for some time to regoup even more before traveling to UC Irvine on March 8th and then opening WWLL Central D2 play at Cal State Fullerton on March 9th.

Each WWLL region regular season first place team receives an automatic qualifier spot in the WWLL Post-Season Tournament. The tournament is being hosted by UCSB April 19th & 20th. The losses to Stanford and UC Santa Cruz, two Northern region teams, don't affect the possibility of winning an automatic bid to the championship tournament. To get that SBCC can win WWLL Central with upcoming games. Biola, Fullerton, Loyola Marymount, UNLV and SBCC are in WWLL Central D2.

• WWLL Standings
  

Palo Alto, CA - SBCC took to the road to play the club at Stanford University. The Cardinal were undefeated at 6-0 entering the game and promptly showed the Vaqueros how they've won all their games so far, with a fast aggressive style of play. SBCC had played in the Santa Barbara Shootout the previous weekend with only ten players. Undaunted, the club recruited new additions from the SBCC student body and they traveled with 16 players eligible to suit up on this Northern California road trip. The six beginning lacrosse players received a rude welcome, of sorts, to lacrosse from Stanford but learned a lot playing for the first time. All 16 Vaqueros played in the game for SBCC.

Mari Cajandig (Davis, CA) led the Vaqueros with 6 goals and Megan McCullough (Novato, CA) scored 5 goals. Briki Cajandig (Davis, CA) had 17 saves facing 41 shots. SBCC concludes the weekend road trip with a game at UC Santa Cruz. The Banana Slugs and the Vaqueros faced each other in the WWLL Division Two championship game last season. UC Santa Cruz won that game 11-9 for their first championship but with so many new faces it's a rematch only of team names. SBCC returns only four players who played in that title game last year. UC Santa Cruz is 2-2 entering the 11:00am Saturday game.

Santa Barbara, CA - The season started fast for the SBCC women's lacrosse club. The Vaqueros returned to school for classes on January 27th. A short two weeks later SBCC faced nationally ranked WCLA DII competition at the 26th Annual Santa Barbara Shootout. Playing short-handed after some unexpected roster attrition between the fall semester and the spring semester, the Vaqueros gutted out two Shootout games.

The best chance for a win came in the first game with St. Benedict's but SBCC fell short in a close 10-8 score despite only having 10 players suited up for the contest. St. Benedict's put all 12 positions on the field and that much, at least, helpled them prevail. Sophomore Megan McCullough (Novato, CA) led SBCC with 4 goals and 1 assist. Sophomore Mari Cajandig (Davis, CA) scored 2 goals and had an assist while redshirt sophomore Marissa Hill (Huntington Beach, CA) scored 2 goals. Goal keeper Briki Cajandig (Davis, CA) had 16 saves. 

The second game of the Shootout matched the Vaqueros with #1 University of Utah. SBCC played the Utes the closest of all teams in the Shootout but fell 20-10, again playing with only ten players on the field. Valiant efforts were turned in for the second day in a row by all Vaqueros present. Mari Cajandi led SBCC with 5 goals, Megan McCullough scored 4 and freshman Haley Moulton (Freeland, MI) scored her first college goal. Briki Cajandi had 18 saves.

Up next for SBCC is a road trip to play games at undefeated Stanford Club (6-0) and at UC Santa Cruz (2-2). Game time on Saturday at Stanford is 1:30pm and on Sunday at UC Santa Cruz it is 11:00am.