Cosumnes River College men’s soccer defender Ruben Ramirez has been named the Hawk of the Week following a standout performance in the Hawks’ 4-1 victory over American River College. Photo courtesy of Consumnes River College

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Cosumnes River College men’s soccer defender Ruben Ramirez has been named the Hawk of the Week following a standout performance in the Hawks’ 4-1 victory over American River College on Oct. 2 in Big 8 Conference action.

Ramirez delivered the turning point of the match, scoring twice in a span of just 1:44 early in the second half to erase a 1-0 halftime deficit and put the Hawks in front.

American River opened the scoring in the eighth minute and carried its lead into the halftime break. Cosumnes River came out of the locker room with a completely different level of urgency, and Ramirez was at the center of the turnaround.

In the 49th minute, Ramirez found the equalizer off an assist from Angel Castillo, scoring his first goal of the season to bring the Hawks level at 1-1.

Less than two minutes later, Ramirez struck again.

At 49:56, the Hawks defender scored an unassisted goal to give Cosumnes River a 2-1 advantage. The quick pair of goals completely shifted the momentum of the match and sparked a four-goal second-half outburst for the Hawks.

Ramirez's two goals were not only his first two of the season, but also came at a critical moment as Cosumnes River looked to open Big 8 Conference play with a victory.

The Hawks continued to build on Ramirez's momentum throughout the second half. Krisztian Anderson extended the lead to 3-1 in the 57th minute with an assist from Raghib Jami, before Sean Miller capped the scoring with an unassisted goal in the 59th minute.

By the final whistle, Cosumnes River had turned a one-goal halftime deficit into a convincing 4-1 conference victory.

The Hawks finished the match with nine shots, including five on goal, while limiting American River to just one shot and one shot on goal. Cosumnes River also held a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks.

Ramirez finished with two shots and two goals, while Castillo and Jami each recorded an assist. Miller and Anderson also contributed goals during the second-half surge.

Defensively, Sergio Duarte played 73:21 in goal and recorded one save, while Prithvi Pillay played the opening 16:39.

The victory moved Cosumnes River to 3-1-5 overall and 1-0 in Big 8 Conference play.