On October 2, 2026, the College of the Desert Roadrunners women’s soccer team secured first place in the Inland Empire Athletic Conference by defeating the Norco Mustangs 1-0 at home in Palm Desert. The decisive goal was scored by sophomore forward Willow Jones in the 34th minute, assisted by sophomore midfielder Joselyn Benitez.
The match, originally scheduled for 6 p.m., was moved up to 4 p.m. due to requests from Norco amid unseasonably hot conditions. Despite Norco pressing vigorously in the second half, College of the Desert’s defense stood strong, and sophomore goalkeeper Alejandra Carrillo recorded three saves to earn her second shutout of the season and third win in seven starts.
With this victory, the Roadrunners improved their all-time series record against Norco to 9-3-3, remaining unbeaten at home against the Mustangs with a 5-0-2 mark. College of the Desert now holds a 3-4-2 overall record and a perfect 2-0 record in IEAC conference play. Their next match is scheduled for October 6 against the Mt. San Jacinto Eagles at home.
CSB Take
College of the Desert’s narrow 1-0 win over Norco places the Roadrunners atop the IEAC standings, providing significant momentum as the conference season intensifies. Contributions from Willow Jones and Joselyn Benitez on offense, combined with Alejandra Carrillo’s dependable goalkeeping, highlight the team’s balanced strengths. Maintaining this defensive resilience and capitalizing on scoring opportunities will be vital as College of the Desert looks to sustain its conference lead in upcoming matches.
Source: Original report
