Story and photo by Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director

After a season in which the Cougar men’s soccer team won its first conference championship in program history, sophomore forward Cesar Dominguez has been named the Western State Conference South Division Player of the Year. In all, the Cougars had 12 players earn post-season all-conference awards with head coach Phil Marcellin also named Coach of the Year.

Dominguez led the team and ranked seventh in the WSC with seven goals. His 24 points across 19 games, including 16 starts, also led the squad. Dominguez tied for the team-lead with four assists, while his 45 shots and 23 shots on goal ranked second for the Cougars.

The sophomore, who also earned All-WSC First-Team honors as a freshman, finishes his Cougar career with 16 goals across 38 games. He is the second player in as many years to earn Player of the Year honors for the Cougars, following in the footsteps of 2017 co-Player of the Year Aaron Winsick.

Sophomore forwards Jorge Rojas and Andres Lozano, and midfielders Jamie Ledezma, Jose Chavez and Justin Marquez were all named All-WSC First-Team selections.

Rojas played a key role in the Cougars’ championship run, scoring nine goals and adding four assists to finish right behind Dominguez with 22 points. Lozano, who earned Honorable Mention accolades after his freshman season with the Cougars in 2014, returned to the pitch this fall and scored eight goals for Canyons to rank third on the team. Along the way he recorded a pair of hat tricks.

Included on the All-WSC Second-Team are midfielder Jose Luis Ruiz and defenders Kevin Santillian, Steven Bobadilla and Jake Erazo who combined to represent a formidable back line for the Cougars.

Sophomore defender Tyler Jovel and midfielder Matthew Garcia were both recognized with Honorable Mention accolades.

Marcellin brought home his third Coach of the Year award, but first with COC’s men’s program. Marcellin, who just completed his 16th season with the men’s team, also took home COY honors in 1999 after leading the Cougars’ women’s program to a conference title. He was also honored in 1994 as head coach of the Bakersfield College women’s program.

In 2018, Marcellin led Canyons (10-6-3, 7-2-1) to a conference title along with its first postseason appearance since 2010. COC won four of its final five games down the stretch to end the regular season, including a 1-0 road victory over Bakersfield in the regular season finale to clinch the historic conference championship.

COC had its season come to end vs. Mt. San Antonio College in the first round of the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Southern California Regional Playoffs.

Stay up to date on all this season’s action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.