It's taken the first month of the season, but coach Sean Roche thinks the Moorpark College men's soccer team may be ready to turn the corner.

Saul Navarro opened the scoring and goalkeeper Jose Gomes made several key saves as the Raiders (1-5-1) opened WSC play Tuesday with a confidence-building 1-1 draw against visiting Hancock.

"It's never easy to dig out from a 1-5 record, but I think we have the character to do it," said Roche. "They have the potential to be very creative and to be a good team, it's just taking us longer than we would have liked."

The sophomore core includes defender and captain Edwin Rivas, midfielder Juan Herrera (Simi Valley) and striker Matt Abraham (Simi Valley). Influential newcomers include fullback Don Kreitz (Grace Brethren), skillful winger Jose Mora and talented defensive midfielder German Vizcarra

"We have good technical ability," said Roche. "It's about making that step into that more competitive environment."