MEN'S SOCCER RALLIES FOR 3-3 TIE WITH CANYONS

SANTA MARIA-- Trailing 3-0 in the 70th minute, the Allan Hancock College men's soccer team didn't figure to have much chance against highly touted College of the Canyons in its Western State Conference opener Tuesday.

But Hancock (1-4-1, 0-0-1 WSC) rallied to score three goals in the final 20 minutes to come away with a 3-3 tie against the heavily favored Cougars. Freshman forward Jose Olivera (Santa Maria) provided the heroics, netting two of the three goals and setting up the third on a corner-kick assist to teammate John Boswell (Atascadero) in the final 30 seconds.

Undefeated Canyons, ranked third in the state and No. 2 in Southern California coming in, took a 1-0 lead with a goal in the 41st minute. The Cougars seemed to salt the match away with successive scores in the 48th and 56th minutes, but the Bulldogs wouldn't go easy.

Olivera scored off a pass from freshman mid-fielder Eric Arciga (Santa Maria) in the 71st minute, then did it again on an assist from freshman Rommell Vargas (Santa Maria) in the 79th minute. Sophomore goalkeeper George Hunter (Mariposa) and the Bulldog defense kept Canyons at bey the remainder of the contest, setting the stage for the big play by Olivera and Boswell in the final minute.

AHC continues its Western State Conference schedule on Friday at home against inter-county rival Santa Barbara City College, beginning at 4 p.m. on the campus field.