RUSTLERS ON TOP OF OEC AFTER FIRST HALF OF PLAY

We are through the first half of action in the Orange Empire Conference for men's soccer and with the season turning towards the finish line, the cream is starting to rise to the top for several quality programs.

In order of the current OEC Standings, here is a breakdown of each team with less than a month remaining in the regular season.

GOLDEN WEST (10-0-4 overall, 6-0-2 in OEC) – In a conference rich in tradition, it's the Rustlers who top them all with a nearly perfect record throughout the 2016 season. Holding the opposition to just a one-goal-per-game average, there is little room for success in the Rustlers' defensive corps.  GWC's only stubbed toe came with a surprising 2-2 tie to Santiago Canyon on Sept. 30, but from there, the Rustlers have won four straight, including a convincing 2-0 win over consistent power, Santa Ana.

Sophomores Anthony Saldana (six goals, four assists), Andres Guerra (six goals) and Mark Hernandez (three goals, six assists) have led the way offensively for the Rustlers, with the help of freshmen Steven Carrera (four goals) and Erick Gomez (two goals, four assists). In goal, freshman Josue Catarino has been a brick wall for the GWC defense, allowing just eight goals in over 900 minutes of play with six wins and three shutouts.

IRVINE VALLEY (10-4 overall, 5-2 in OEC) – The conference's leading goal scorers, the Lasers, are sitting pretty in second place in the standings, thanks to an impressive 36 goals in 2016 (20 in conference). It was a solid 10-day stretch in September that put the Lasers on the minds of the rest of the conference as they rolled to convincing wins over Santiago Canyon (6-1), Fullerton (3-2), Cypress (5-0) and Orange Coast (3-0). IVC made a deep run into the Southern California Regional playoffs a year ago and barring any injuries, the repeat in history could be on the way.

Sophomore Sean Goode has been MORE than good for the Lasers, leading the way with 11 goals, second-most among OEC competitors. Sophomores Connor Elder (eight goals, four assists), Jose Rivera (five goals, seven assists) and freshman Daniel Segal (six goals, two assists) have given the Lasers' opponents plenty to think about. In goal, freshman Blake Sigler has 10 wins, 55 saves and a 1.20 goals-against average in over 1,100 minutes of action.

SANTA ANA (8-2-4 overall, 4-2-2 in OEC) – A constant team to beat in the OEC for over two decades, the Dons find themselves in familiar territory as they battle GWC and IVC for the top spot in the conference. After starting OEC play with just one win over the first four contests (1-1-2), the Dons ripped off three straight wins before stumbling at GWC on Friday.

The Dons have been led from start to finish by the strong play of freshman Oscar Navarro, who leads the conference with 13 goals and six assists for 32 points. If the opposition keys on Navarro, look for freshman Evarado Serrano to create havoc with six goals and three assists. Goalkeeper Sergio Candelas has been solid with a 1.00 GAA and 20 saves in nine starts.

FULLERTON (8-4-3 overall, 4-3-1 in OEC) – During the opening few matches of OEC play, the Hornets could do no wrong with a 4-1 record, including an improbable 3-2 comeback win over Orange Coast with a pair of goals in the final 18 minutes of play. But it's been a bit of a struggle for Fullerton over the past two weeks with just two ties and three losses over their next five matchups.

Sophomore Eduin Manguia has been a steady force for the Hornets with nine goals and two assists for a team-best 20 points, while freshman Rene Santillan (five goals, five assists, 15 points) and Gerard Abessolo (four goals, four assists, 12 points) are close behind for the team lead. In goal, freshman Julian Ochoa has been the workhorse with a 1.51 GAA and 47 saves in over 1,000 minutes of action.

SANTIAGO CANYON (4-5-5 overall, 2-2-4 in OEC) – After a 2-1-2 start to the 2016 season, the Hawks have struggled to find consistence on both sides of the field and have gone 2-4-3 since. However, SCC opened the second half of conference play with a convincing 3-1 win at Fullerton College so things might be on the way up for the Hawks.

Steady play has been displayed by the trip of Kevin Perez (five goals, one assists), Bryan Chavez (five goals) and Amirgy Pineda (two goals, six assists), while in goal, the trio of Ocean Wong, Andrew Salmeron and David Figueroa have combined for a 1.60 GAA and 56 saves.

ORANGE COAST (3-6-3 overall, 1-4-2 in OEC) – It's been a frustrating season for the Pirates, who have shown the level of talent they possess with convincing wins against Long Beach (5-3), East Los Angeles (4-1) and Norco (5-1), but injuries in key positions have stalled the OCC offense during an 0-5-2 stretch over this past month.

With the season-ending leg injury to standout Peter Marquez (five goals, two assists), the Pirates have been carried offensively by the Taylor Kane (four goals, eight assists), Jack Slavik (five goals) and Garen Balikcioglu (two goals, three assists). In goal, Osiel Porcayo has carried the entire workload and has notched 74 assists and a 2.00 GAA in 12 matches.

CYPRESS (4-8-2 overall, 1-4-2 in OEC) – It's been a season of ups and down for Cypress. The Chargers started out strong with a 3-1 record and notched a three-match winning streak with victories over Moorpark, Canyons and Palomar, before stumbling back with a five-match losing streak. Finding offensive success has been a struggle for the Chargers in conference play with just six goals in seven matches and just 14 overall in 14 contests.

Cypress HAS found some offensive success through the trio of Christian Supancic (four goals), Sanson Lopez (three goals, one assist) and Hawe Yonas (three goals), while in goal, sophomore Braydon Welch has been the workhorse with a 1.96 GAA and three shutouts in 13 matches.

NORCO (1-9-3 overall, 0-6-1 in OEC) – After starting the season with just one loss in their first four matches (1-1-2), the Mustangs have struggled with just one tie and eight losses over their next nine contests. But the results don't show that Norco can be a pest to play as evidenced by four one-goal losses and a solid 1-1 stalemate against Fullerton College.