Winning two of the last three games, the Warriors gained momentum as they defeated Victor Valley 3-0 Monday at Murdock Stadium.

“Overall, it was a very physical game, we played well and controlled the tempo,” coach John Britton said.

Britton expects this to be a rebuilding year, with only three returning players from last season in defenseman Simon Hoffman, midfielder Chris Lopez and defenseman Freddy Godinez.

EC scored all three goals in the last 30 minutes of the game, as they polished off their second win of the season.

“Our aim is to finish above .500; this is a rebuilding year,” Britton said.

“We have the potential to be real good next year.”

The attack this season has been surprisingly strong, led by freshmen forwards Luis Paz and Tony Sandoval.

Paz and Sandoval are both expecting to score at least ten goals this season, with Paz having three sp far and Sandoval having two.

“The mistakes are what will hurt us this year, because we have a young team, so we need to keep them down,” assistant coach Eddie Barragan said.

Even though the Warriors have struggled defensively, one player that has excelled though playing many different sides of the defense is freshman Edgar Tejada.

By controlling the tempo of the game with strong defense, EC has shown that they have the ability to play a solid 90 minutes.

“Monday was the best we played of the first six games,” Britton said.

“The key to the win was Darren Dunn’s ‘World Class’ goal, it settled our nerves and led to the win.”

“We need to build our confidence and chemistry, we have good individual talent, we have to bring it together as a team,” Sandoval said.

Every game has been different, but while the consistency has not surfaced yet, the players and coaches are banking on this season to gain the experience needed to be a power in the next one.

“Ever game we play better, so I think we will do better during the season,” Paz said.

Britton saw room from improvement, as he believes this team can play more as a unit and get to know each other better.

“We need to practice like we play,” Britton said. “Every game we are seeing something new. We still need to set a standard for commitment.”

Paz, like Britton, said he still sees room for improvement even though the season is young.

“Defense is the main thing we need to work on,” Paz said. “Every game we play better. Realistically, we have a chance at the play-offs. We will do better next season.”