PHOENIX – The Yavapai College women's soccer team hit the road on Saturday afternoon and took on the defending NJCAA DII National Champions (also winners of two of the last three titles) and currently No. 2-ranked Phoenix College Bears and came home with the second-best result: a tie with the final being 2-2. 

With the tie, the Roughriders finish their season with a 9-6-2 overall record and 7-3-2 mark in conference games. The nine wins in 2023 are the most in the program's three-year history and it is also the first season in program history with a winning percentage north of .500. 

Goal-scoring action was not featured in the first half for either team as the Roughriders and Bears went into the break knotted up at 0-0. 

After halftime, it was Phoenix who struck first and second, scoring 10 minutes and 20 minutes into the second half and taking a 2-0 lead with 25 minutes left to play. 

On the comeback trail, the Roughriders cut the lead in half with 20 minutes left to play on a goal from freshman forward Paola Carrillo, assisted by sophomore defender Marissa Pond. It was Carrillo's fourth score of the season and Pond's first assist. 

10 minutes later, sophomore forward Julie Reyes found the back of the net and was assisted by freshman defender Dylan Ramirez. Ramirez found her fifth helper of the season on the play while Reyes scored her team-leading 13th goal of the season. 

Reyes now holds the career and single season records for goals scored in YC's three-year history. 

After the game-tying goal, the teams were held scoreless in the final 10 minutes to bring the game to a tie and the Roughrider season to a close. 

In goal, freshman goalkeeper LJ Hempel earned the tie with five saves on the afternoon. Hempel took home every Roughrider decision in 2023, going 9-6-2 as well with three shutouts.