The Bakersfield College women’s soccer team is hoping to keep the momentum rolling after opening the season with a scrimmage win and a shutout victory vs. nearby College of the Sequoias despite being shutout on the road against Santa Rosa College.

The Renegades started the season playing a scrimmage against Allan Hancock on Aug. 21. After nearly two decades, this is the first season the women’s soccer team is playing at Memorial Stadium.

“The girls are very excited to be playing at Memorial Stadium this year,” said head coach Scott Dameron. “The school is definitely supporting us, and it gives us more of a professional feel when we go out and perform. It’s a step up from last year. It’s giving our program a better image.”

The scrimmage provided Dameron an opportunity to evaluate the team.

“I like the team that we have,” he said. “We got a chance to see everybody play and try many different combinations of players on the field but there still is a lot more to work on.”

The Renegades’ first official game was against College of the Sequoias also at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 1.

Within the first 18 minutes, BC was up 2-0 with both scores coming from newcomer Sabrina Spink, a sophomore who returned to the team after a four-year break from intercollegiate athletics.

“It is nice to have her back,” Dameron said. “She is a great athlete but also very intelligent. She understands the game very well. It’s going to be great for the players around her.”

Ana Ortega scored the final goal in the 35th minute to seal the victory. The Renegades kept it at 3-0 giving them the shutout victory against COS.

With the team playing under the lights at Memorial Stadium, Dameron said, “Definitely exciting. I hope over time the games are in the evenings. That it will make it more of a community sport and our program will get more people behind the team.”

The Renegades also played against Santa Rosa on Sept. 5 where they lost, 6-0.

Dameron described Santa Rosa as “a strong team.”

“…I’m hoping what comes from the weekend is we build our team together and we will find out more of what our team needs to do to succeed.”

After the loss, Dameron said, “The team will come together and get used to each other’s tendencies and with that more things will come together.”

BC’s women’s soccer team will be here at home for their next two matches as they’ll face Lassen on Sept. 17 and Ventura on Sept. 18.

Both games will start at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.