IRVINE, CA
Orange County SC delivered a commanding performance on Saturday night, dominating Las Vegas Lights FC in a decisive 4-0 win that reaffirmed their playoff ambitions in the Western Conference.
From the opening whistle, the Orange & Black controlled the pace of the game, combining intensity with tactical discipline. Matching Las Vegas’ physical play while maintaining midfield control, OCSC quickly put their stamp on the match.
The scoring began in the 11th minute when Chris Hegardt was brought down in the box by Shawn Smart, earning a penalty. Veteran forward Ethan Zubak, making his 150th USL Championship appearance, stepped up to the spot. Although his initial shot was denied by Vegas goalkeeper Raiko Arozarena, Zubak reacted first to slot home the rebound — marking his 40th career USL Championship goal.
OC continued to press, and in the 24th minute, Nicola Ciotta launched a pinpoint ball over the top to Ousmane Sylla, who squared it to Hegardt. With flair, Hegardt backheeled the ball into the path of Ryan Doghman, who curled in a stunning right-footed strike to double the lead.
Vegas’ best (and only) chance came in the 30th minute, but Colin Shutler was sharp between the posts, making a clean save to preserve his clean sheet. Shutler’s lone save of the night brought his career total to 198.
Things went from bad to worse for Las Vegas just before halftime. In the 39th minute, midfielder Christopher Pearson was shown a red card for shoving Nico Benalcazar to the ground, leaving the Lights down a man.
OCSC capitalized quickly. In the 41st minute, Sylla turned provider again, whipping in a cross to Mohamadou War, who calmly slotted it past a stretched Arozarena for the third goal of the half.
Las Vegas never recovered. Orange County controlled possession throughout the second half, and in the 89th minute, Hegardt capped off a standout night with a rocket from outside the box — his first goal of the season — sealing the 4-0 rout.
The final whistle came after two minutes of stoppage time, wrapping up a match where OCSC dominated in every statistical category: 63% possession, 17 shots (7 on target), and a crucial clean sheet to boost confidence heading into the playoff push.
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