The sixth annual Southern California College Soccer Showcase was held Saturday, March 9, at Great Oak High School. The best of the Inland Empire took on the best of the San Diego County in an All-Star match-up with a four-year, full-ride scholarship to the University of Maine at stake for the game’s MVP.

The game consisted of three, 45 minute periods, giving all the players an opportunity to play. The game began with a goal in the twelfth minute from Jason Goicochea from Valley View, giving the Inland Empire an early lead. Goicochea would score again in the thirty-first minute and go on to win the Offensive MVP.

Ryan Blasena from La Costa Canyon scored in the twenty-third and thirty-seventh minute, making him the only goal scorer for San Diego County. The game ended six goals to two in favor of the Inland Empire. Other goal scorers for the Inland Empire were Matias Rodriguez from Chaparral High School in the twenty-sixth minute, Nathaniel Gonzalez from Santiago High School in the thirtieth minute, and in the second half, Hugo Vinales from Palm Springs in the twentieth minute and Ariel Lassiter from Great Oak High School in the thirty-seventh minute.

Drew Ramsey from La Costa High School won the Defensive MVP but the MVP of the entire match and winner of the full-ride scholarship to the University of Maine was Chaparral’s Matias Rodriguez.

The coach of the Inland Empire, Jeremiah Marquez, explained how honored and excited he was to have coached the winners, "We had a bunch of young talent out here from Southern California who are all trying to continue their academic education but also try to play at a high level. It was fun meeting new faces and talking to different people."

Great Oak’s Ariel Lassiter, who will be playing for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the fall, also mentioned, "It was an honor. There was a lot of talent and it was a fun night to be a part of."

Most of these players have previously played against one another on their school teams so they knew each other and according to Michael Killeen, "The chemistry was a bit off at first but once we started playing, it was a lot of fun."

Overall, it was an impressive showcase of the talented Southern California soccer players.