The Moorpark College women's basketball team also looked strong Tuesday, when it opened its season with a 71-51 win over visiting Santa Monica. Twin towers Katie Lenik and Riley Abraham combined for 27 points and 17 rebounds.

Moorpark travels north for the Sierra College Summitt tournament Friday, when will face West Hills in the quarterfinals.

The only local team that has yet to tipoff its season is the Ventura College women's basketball team, which was ranked No. 2 in both the Southern California and state preseason polls behind defending state champion Mount San Antonio.

The Pirates get started Friday at 3 p.m. in the Vaquero Shootout at Glendale College. The opening matchup against Fullerton is a rematch of the 2010 state championship game.

The season has yet to start, but the Pirates already have a special honor this fall.

VC sophomores Hanna Burge and Eda Graham were both named to the 2011-12 Academic All-State first team last month. The Newbury Park and Ventura High graduates are two of the three members of the five-player team who earned perfect 4.0 GPAs last season.

Burge and Graham were honored from a pool that included 37 nominees who achieved at least a 3.2 GPA.

When the California Community College Athletic Association released its initial state and regional women's soccer polls earlier this week, the Ventura College women's soccer team was conspicuous by its absence.

Perhaps at any other moment in its history, Ventura, which has won more than 80 percent of its matches since first kicking a ball in 1996, would belong among the ranked elite.

But, when the poll was released Tuesday, the Pirates were mired in the longest losing streak in school history.

"It's been a reality check," sophomore midfielder Shayna Pettersen said.

Although the four-match losing streak, which ended with a 4-1 win over Santa Monica on Tuesday night, didn't necessarily incite panic.

"We were in every one of those games," coach Steve Hoffman said. "We should have probably got a draw in several of them."

The competition has been of the highest caliber. Four of VC's five losses have come against unbeaten teams ranked in the top 10 of the NSCAA national coaches poll. No. 1 Santiago Canyon, No. 3 Cerritos, No. 8 Cypress and No. 9 Canyons entered the week a combined 20-0-3.

"The kids have got to cut themselves a little bit of slack," Hoffman said. "It's not your normal schedule because of the quality of the teams we've played. It's been a good challenge and the kids have actually done quite well."

Which isn't to say there hasn't been issues. Problems at the back have meant Hoffman has yet to start the same lineup twice. Goalkeeper Katelyn White (Camarillo High) was out with a shoulder injury for most of the streak and the back four has been musical chairs.

Freshman Shayne Wells (Oxnard High) is the only settled member of the defense. Fullback Dakota Thompson (Ventura) is out with a broken hand and, recently, Hoffman has moved freshman forward Taylor C'debaca (Agoura) to fullback and sophomore midfielder Danielle Cook (Ventura) to central defender in an effort to stop the bleeding.

The rest of the team has been steady. The attacking trident of Daisy Cardona (Buena), Breanna Naranjo (Pacifica), and Yasmin Lepez (Pacifica) has combined for 11 goals and six assists. Playmaker Lupita Magana (Santa Paula) already has three goals and four assists and the rest of midfield, wingers Stephanie Hernandez (Ventura) and A.J. Tewes (Buena) and organizer Pettersen (Oxnard), has been solid.

Knowing there is no more room for error, Ventura (4-5) hosts Bakersfield tonight before opening Western State Conference play Sept. 28 against Hancock.

The Pirates have never lost more than six matches in a season.

Despite being ranked No. 8 in this week's NSCAA national coaches' poll, the Oxnard College men's soccer team is nowhere near the finished product.

The Condors have already blown two-goal leads in two of their first four matches, which coach Ross Greaney labeled "growing pains."

Oxnard recovered to beat East Los Angeles 4-3 on Sept. 4, but wasn't able to respond to a last-minute equalizer by Santa Monica's Alessandro Canale in Tuesday's Western State Conference opener.

"We're young and naïve," Greaney said.

Oxnard's attack is founded upon striker Travis Bowen, who scored seven goals for the Ventura County Fusion over the summer; winger Max Madrigal, who scored five goals for the Condors as a freshman in 2009; and attacker Cory Vilchis, a freshman from Newbury Park High.

After starting 2-0, Oxnard (2-1-1) has been slowed by injuries. Bowen (hamstring) has missed more than a week. Left back Octavio Mejia, defender Jesse Gallardo and midfielder Victor Magana have also been missing with leg injuries.

After conceding 52 goals in 20 matches a year ago, the Moorpark College men's soccer team has seemingly tightened up at the back this fall.

Backstopped by goalkeepers Shane Dulgeroff (Westlake High) and Gerardo Velasquez, the Raiders (0-0-3) have opened the season with three consecutive scoreless draws.

And the four hours of shutout soccer has come against powerful Orange County opposition. The three opponents -- Santa Ana, Irvine Valley and Cypress -- are a combined 8-2-3 against other opposition.

Already the biggest and, arguably, most competitive Western State Conference race, men's soccer added a ninth WSC team this season when Santa Monica College picked up the sport.

The Corsairs' addition expands conference play to nearly 10 weeks, making the competition even more of a meat grinder.

Despite a pretty backheeled goal by Oxnard freshman Tommy Cruz, Santa Monica picked up its first WSC point Tuesday with Canale's late header. Moorpark hosts Santa Monica today in its WSC opener.

Chanelle Brennan had a career-high 32 points and 11 rebounds as the top-ranked Ventura College women's basketball team defeated Santa Monica 71-53 in the semifinals of the VC-Kiwanis Tournament of Champions.

Guard Erika Ward had 12 points and point guard Amanda Padilla added 10 points, nine assists and three steals as Ventura (5-0) advanced to a No. 1 versus No. 2 showdown with Mount San Antonio in Sunday's 4 p.m. final.

Chanelle Brennan had a career-high 32 points and 11 rebounds as the top-ranked Ventura College women's basketball team defeated Santa Monica 71-53 in the semifinals of the VC-Kiwanis Tournament of Champions.

Guard Erika Ward had 12 points and point guard Amanda Padilla added 10 points, nine assists and three steals as Ventura (5-0) advanced to a No. 1 versus No. 2 showdown with Mount San Antonio in Sunday's 4 p.m. final.

The Ventura College women's basketball team leads Santa Monica, 38-27, at the half behind sophomore forward Chanelle Brennan, who has 20 points on 7 of 9 shooting and 8 rebounds.

Point guard Amanda Padilla has six points, six assists and three steals.

If Ventura holds on, the top-ranked Pirates would advance for a No. 1 versus No. 2 showdown with Mount San Antonio College in tomorrow's 4 p.m. final.

No. 2 Mount SAC beat Canyons, 82-77, in the first VC-Kiwanis Tournament of Champions semifinal.

A year ago, Alyssa McDonald watched from the bench as the Ventura College women's soccer team's playoff run came to an abrupt end.

This season, McDonald extended the Pirates postseason.

McDonald scored in the 103th minute as the Ventura College women's soccer team won twice in a postseason for the first time in its 14-year history with a 4-3 extra-time win over visiting Santa Monica College in the Southern California regional semifinals Tuesday night at the VC Sportsplex.

"We made history at Ventura College this year," McDonald, said, "We made it past the second round and we're going to go all the way this year."

After Ventura College missed two golden scoring opportunities midway through the first period of extra time, McDonald, who missed the 2008 postseason with a broken foot, took a pass just inside the penalty area, turned her defender around and slid a powerful low strike just beyond the grasp of the Santa Monica goalkeeper.

No. 2 Ventura will host No. 3 San Bernardino Valley, which beat No. 6 Los Angeles Pierce 1-0, Saturday in a Southern California regional semifinal.

(reporting from Danny Page)

Salgado's free kick with six minutes to play ties the match for Santa Monica, 3-3, at Ventura.

And Strozier is off the field and laying on the trainer's table. Not a good sign for the Pirates.

Santa Monica takes the lead on the No. 2 Ventura College women's soccer team as Santos Tejada scores the opener in the 10th minute.

After a lengthy spell of dominant play from the Pirates, Tejada, a freshman, took a through ball on the right-hand side of the penalty area and chipped over on-rushing Pirate goalkeeper Aslyn Rau to put the Corsairs in front 1-0.

No. 7 Santa Monica is already only team to win at the VC Sportsplex this season.

But Ventura sophomore Jazmarae Strozier, the state leader in goals, equalizes five minutes later with her 29th goal of the season.

The Pirates seemed stunned after Santa Monica's opening goal, but turned to their star to pull them level.

Strozier found herself double-teamed on the edge of the penalty area but swept the ball to the right and fired a stunning 20-yard strike inside the near post to tie the game.

UPDATE: Sophomore Jessica Fogeltanz scores from Strozier to give Ventura a 2-1 lead in the 34th minute.

It was a well-worked team goal. Jennifer Arauz-Martinez played a short ball into Strozier, who swung a low cross into the penalty area. Lindsay Armenta stepped over Strozier's pass which fell perfectly for Jessica Fogeltanz, who slotted the ball home from 15 yards to put Ventura in the lead.

Ventura College women's soccer coach Steve Hoffman on the No. 2 Pirates' regional semifinal Tuesday against No. 7 Santa Monica:

"We feel good about it. They're a good side. They've not given up many goals. One of their key players is out, a forward who was a handful when we played them."

The Ventura College women's soccer team suffered its second loss of the season Sunday night against Santa Monica, 2-1.

Monique Orocio scored the VC goal in the 47th minute off an assist from Jaz Strozier.

Ventura fell to 5-2. Santa Monica (3-1-2) also spoiled Moorpark's 100 percent start to the season with a 2-2 draw Friday. Moorpark is now 3-0-1.