Menjivar’s Penalty Kick Lifts Taft to 1-1 Road Draw
| 1H | 2H | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TAF | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| SAN | 0 | 1 | 1 |
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - Ian Menjivar converted a penalty kick in the 76th minute, and Taft College remained unbeaten with a 1-1 draw against San Bernardino Valley College on Friday at Soccer Field in San Bernardino. The Cougars answered after falling behind in the second half and nearly found the winning goal through Menjivar in the final moments.
Taft goalkeeper Noah Rosales kept the match scoreless through halftime with two saves during a late San Bernardino Valley push. Rosales stopped a header from Jesus Vicente Mendoza-Rubio at 43:58, then denied Julian Moss at the 45-minute mark. Earlier, Jacob Cooke-Ruiz had a shot blocked at 35:33, producing the Cougars’ lone corner kick of the match.
The Cougars created an early second-half chance when Bryce Kemp directed a header on goal at 53:02, but San Bernardino Valley goalkeeper Andres Linares made the save. San Bernardino Valley broke through at 57:41 as Johnny Robert Gonzalez scored from Christopher Perez’s assist. Diego Delacruz tested Linares with another shot on goal in the 69th minute as Taft pressed for an equalizer.
Menjivar delivered at 75:41, scoring from the penalty spot to bring the Cougars level. He remained dangerous through the finish and produced two attempts at 90:00, one saved by Linares and another blocked. Menjivar finished with three shots, including two on goal, while Cooke-Ruiz also recorded three attempts. Rosales completed the match with two saves.
San Bernardino Valley held a 16-11 advantage in total shots and took six corner kicks to Taft’s one, but the Cougars placed four shots on goal compared with the home side’s three. Taft went 1-for-1 on penalty kicks, and Linares made three saves for San Bernardino Valley. The draw moved the Cougars to 2-0-3, while San Bernardino Valley went to 3-0-2.
Taft returns home to face Cerritos College on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, at 4 p.m.
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