SOCCER
MATCHES MARK RETURN
OF SPORTS TO MISSION COLLEGE
Los Angeles
Mission College's return to athletic competition officially begins on
September 3, when its men's and women's soccer teams take on respective
opponents in a pair of non-conference games.
The men's team will be matched against East Los Angeles College in a 4
p.m. contest at Birmingham High School. Because Mission College does not
have an athletic field, the men's soccer team will play its "home"
games at Birmingham High School.
The women's team, meanwhile, will be on the road, playing Santa Monica
College in a 4 p.m. match. The women's team will play its home games at
San Fernando High School.
Due to budget cuts, Mission College was forced to end its athletics program
in 1997. Upon her appointment as college president in 2000, Dr. Adriana
Barrera committed herself to returning at least a partial sports program
to the campus. The re-birth of athletics at Mission College begins with
men's and women's soccer this fall and continues with men's baseball and
women's softball in the spring.
"I'm very excited about the return of athletics to Los Angeles Mission
College," said John Klitsner, athletic director. "We have two
quality head coaches who have worked hard to recruit the best student
athletes to our college."
E.B. Madha is head coach of the men's team. He is the boys' soccer coach
at Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, and previously has coached at Hart
High School in Newhall. He also has more than 20 years experience coaching
club soccer, most recently with the West Valley Samba.
Shannon Higgins coaches the Mission College women's team. She is the girls'
soccer coach at San Fernando High School, and also has served as assistant
soccer coach at Moorpark College. Prior to moving to California, Higgins
worked in various youth soccer programs in Massachusetts.
The men's team plays
five non-conference games and takes part in the Oxnard College Tournament
before beginning a 14-game conference season on September 27 against Taft
College on the road.
The women's team will play a seven-game inter-divisional schedule before
beginning divisional play against Moorpark College on September 27. This
match, at 4 p.m. at San Fernando High School, marks the start of a 13-game
divisional schedule.
Both teams will compete in the Western State Conference.
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