The TCC Wildcats won the NW Campus playoff final 5-3 over New Era to claim the title Tuesday in a close game, which battled down to the last minute.
The champions of the three-week soccer league move into Saturday’s district finals.
Khristian Araneda scored for New Era within the game’s first minute, but Fabian Contreras soon tied the game, and his teammate Luis Villegas scored seconds later, putting the Wildcats into the lead.
Marcus Bean scored next for New Era, followed by another New Era goal by Ivan Basco that put the team ahead 3-2.
The Wildcats’ goalkeeper Jonquial Flake made two big back-to-back saves, keeping New Era’s lead to one goal until Contreras scored again to tie the game.
The buzzer and the yell celebrating Villegas’s second goal ended the half with the Wildcats leading 4-3.
During the second half, the ball whipped from end line to end line as the Wildcats defended their lead against New Era’s fierce assaults on goal.
But surprisingly, after a high-scoring first half, the second half saw only one goal. Shaun Williams scored the last goal for the Wildcats, clinching the championship.
The Wildcats celebrated their victory with a triumphant group belly slide across the court floor and snippets of the song “We Are the Champions.”
“The TCC Wildcats are number one!” Contreras said.
The team then immediately entered into a spirited game of basketball.
New Era had shut out Choco-Taco Uno 6-0 earlier on Tuesday to win its slot in the final.
Though Choco-Taco Uno players repeatedly pushed the ball to the goal line, they couldn’t get the ball in the net.
Bean put a point on the board in the second half, and Araneda finished the scoring off with two more goals.
The Wildcats advanced to the final after Last Minute forfeited.
Looking back on the league, Joshua Tarbay, NW Campus intramural director, said teams were excited at first, but that each forfeit had a snowballing effect, reducing that team’s participation.
In the future, NW Campus will probably go for an elimination tournament style of play, Tarbay said.
The TCC Wildcats are teaming up with former opponent New Era to create the NW Campus’ soccer team for the District Cup soccer tournament Oct. 31.