In a swift offensive drive, Kristen Fleming scored big in the second half, defeating Cerritos 1-0 last Friday.
The Warriors will look to conitnue playing impressive defense against Mt. SAC tomorrow at 2 p.m.
The women started the game off slow, but their defense was good enough to keep their opponents back until the second half.
What started as a much quicker offensive team, the Cerritos Falcons lost stamina and the Warriors gained enough momentum to fire off numerous shot attempts.
“I just stayed on the outside and ran in, the ball came up through the middle, then I got it in,” Fleming said.
While still a strong defensive team, practice has helped the Warriors improve offensively.
Before playing Cerritos, the Warriors worked on shooting, containing the ball, and passing. But there are other tactics that need improvement.
“For the next game, we will work on interplay between forwards, keeping possession of the ball and linking passes between defense, midfield, and forwards,” Coach John Britton said,
The game against Cerritos was originally scheduled as a home game, but due to filming on the campus fields, the game ended up being away.
This, however, has not exactly hurt the Warriors.
“I think away games affect our mentality,” Sophmore Jennifer Silva said. “We have to work harder, then get pumped up on the ride there. So when we get there we play pumped up.”
Weather conditions Friday also tested the Warriors physical and mental abilities.
The intense heat and sudden wind shifts were elements not exactly favorable for either team.
Strong passes were blown back across the field, making it difficult to move the ball around the pitch.
“Playing against the heat is all mental, so you just got to keep it up,” Silva said. “It’s a team sport, so you have to take it for the team. Since it’s my last year, I do it for the team with no regrets.”
The team will have a whole week off until the next game, giving it lots of time for practice and mental preparation.
Last year, Mt. SAC did well playing overall, so the Warriors will have to work hard to win.
“With Mt. SAC, we always have a tough game, it’s competitive, and looking at the records right now, we are very similar,” Britton said.
The women’s record right now is 4-7-1, and their conference record remains 1-2-1.
Also, the break between the games will allow the two injured players, Jennifer Vittorio and Christa Peevyhouse, to work on regaining their health.
Both players have injured their ankles in previous games.
Some members of the team indicate that Peevyhouse had to go to a hospital after the Cerritos game ended.
In the mean time, a break might be what the whole team needs to regroup and reguvinate.
However, every player is aware that they cannot afford to slack off and that they must use their time to prepare.
Playing hard and staying on top of their game are vital to obtain victories in the future.
“Our team has a lot of potential as a whole, but we need to learn to communicate,” Christina Cigliano, Sophmore, said. “We need to send more through balls and work on communication.”
Defense was once again played an impressive game when they played to a scoreless tie during a match against L.A. Harbor on Oct. 5.
