Welcome to Golden West College Soccer
The GWC Men's Soccer Team is coming off of its finest season in a decade. They posted a 14-4-3 record and finished the season ranked 5th in the Southern Section, but fell in their opening round playoff match. With the bitter end to a successful season, the team hopes to build upon their successes and learn from their experiences.
With some key players moving on to other colleges, the team rebuilds for another solid season. Jaime Martinez, Mikey Cruz, and Mario Velez form a trio of Ocean View HS players leading a solid sophomore class. Other key returning players include All Conference Goalkeeper Eric Gonzalez (Westminster HS) and the team's leading goal scorer Angel Palma (Garden Grove HS). Angel had a standout freshman season earning All Conference honors along with Cruz and Gonzalez. Coach Wells hopes that experienced successful players like Palma can lead a promising freshmen class.
Another interesting story is the return of Israel Gimenez (Westminster HS) to the team. Gimenez is the brother of Coach Alex Gimenez and played for Wells and Gimenez in their first year at the helm back in 2001. After spending the past 5 years working, Israel has returned to school hoping for another opportunity. He adds a lot of leadership and experience to the team after growing in character over the years. Former All Conference player, Ricardo Casillas (Marina HS), Marco Martinez (Huntington HS), and Robby Ekins (Marina HS) are three more local sophomore players who bring maturity and experience to help lead the team.
Coach Wells believes his team is very solid in the attack, but hopes to build in front of his star keeper to form a formidable defensive team. "We will be a young defensive team, but hopefully they will take to the challenge and grow quickly into the system. Champions play great defense, so I hope to become solid in this area. I believe we have the capabilities to have an amazing team if they come together as one."