SAN MARCOS — Palomar men’s soccer battled to a 1-1 draw against Santa Monica College on Sept. 4, holding off a strong competitor with a standout performance from first-time starting goalkeeper Bruin Bailey.
The Corsairs struck early, scoring in the fourth minute to give Santa Monica a quick lead. The Comets responded in the 43rd minute, when Ibrahim Joubran (#12) scored off a corner kick from Dylan Bissember (#24), with an assist from Ismael Zavala (#7).
The score was Joubran’s first goal as a Comet, a milestone for the freshman as he begins his Palomar career.
“I was there in the right moment and put it away, back of the net, simple,” Joubran said.
Santa Monica controlled possession much of the game, but Palomar’s defense held steady throughout the second half. Bailey anchored the effort with multiple saves, including a crucial penalty save midway through the latter half to keep the score even.
“The guy looked really nervous taking it. He didn’t look up at me,” Bailey said. “I could tell kind of by his stance he was going to go that way, so I just went and saved it.”
That save, along with several others in the closing minutes, gave the Comets the stability they needed to hold off Santa Monica’s attack and secure the draw. Much of the result could be attributed to Bailey’s composure in goal.
“Not only saving the penalty kick, but he came up with other big saves. He came out and controlled his box, he was good with his feet,” Head Coach David Linenberger said of Bailey, noting his competition with fellow goalkeeper Amanueal Kidanemariam for the starting spot.
“This is the best we’ve seen of him so far this year. Now we’ve got two guys really fighting for that spot, and I think it’ll be like iron sharpens iron, they’re going to make each other better,” Linenberger said.
The draw marks a gritty result for the Comets, who started the season with two losses in the first week of play before notching their first win against Victor Valley on Sept. 2. Coming up even against a strong Corsairs squad, Palomar showed resilience and perseverance at home.
“It’s taken us a couple games to get to know one another, get some confidence in our play,” Coach Linenberger said. “This is a really good result for us here, because Santa Monica is a top-eight team in the south. So this tie will help us in the long run, and the guys are starting to believe in themselves and each other.”
The Comets continue nonconference play at home next week against Santiago Canyon at 6 p.m. on Sept. 9.