The Hornets wore pink jerseys in support of breast cancer awareness month, as they dominated the Chargers on Tuesday, Oct. 23.

Fullerton College women’s soccer team entered their home game against the Cypress College with a record of 10-3-2 (7-2-2 in conference).

This was the first time the Hornets scored three goals in one game this month and the eight time this season they shut out their opponents. Fullerton avenged their loss to the Chargers in their first match up earlier this season, where the Chargers shut the Hornets out 3-0.

“We focused on finishing last week. Yesterday we had a whole training session about finishing and they came and finished the chances they created. I’m happy about that and they came from different scorers,” said Hornets head coach Pam Lewin.

Freshman midfielder Ivanelli Marino said what was different this time around, “we just worked harder and our bench lifted us up and played our game.”

The beginning of the game was unorganized, as both teams had trouble securing ball possession. The Chargers and Hornets were using their physical presence to disrupt passes and any chances to set up. Both teams were aggressive which led to a few fouls and questionable calls that had both teams unhappy with the officiating in the first half.

The Chargers almost capitalized on a foul called against Fullerton, but Hornets sophomore goalkeeper Savannah Dyer was quick to respond with a block on the free kick just underneath the crossbar.

Despite not being able to set up offensively, the Hornets started to find themselves working in Chargers territory. However, their passing game lacked aggression as they missed the chances for several scoring opportunities

The Chargers disrupted the Hornets offense once again and almost put themselves on the board when a Chargers forward shot the ball, out of the reach of Hornets Dyer, just wide of the net.

Freshman forward Taylor Hobbs and a Chargers defender were both chasing down a ball aggressively. The Chargers defender kicked it out of bounds as Hobs attempted to reach for the ball but accidentally clipped the defender’s knee. Luckily for Hobbs, no foul was called on the play.

Chargers coach Erick Hurtarte was frustrated with the officiating on the game and was just shy of being ejected. He argued, why there should have been a foul called on the Hornets. He kept debating and the referee gave him the option to stay or leave. She said ”you can either leave or stay the rest of the game” five times.

Both teams were overly aggressive causing minor altercations as there were several battles for the ball in the air. The Hornets regained possession, but the Chargers defense kept crowding the box and the defense continued to double team the Hornets.

With minutes away from halftime, a foul was called against the Chargers, giving the Hornets an opportunity for a goal. Marino took the free kick and shot a laser into the net as the goalie stood frozen watching the ball fly past her. This gave the Hornets the lead going into half at 1-0.

The Hornets started the second half with good ball possession in the Chargers territory. However, with good field position, they struggled to set up offensively.

As the game progressed, another foul was called against the Hornets, which resulted in a yellow card for sophomore forward Brianna Remedios. Shortly after, the Hornets made a change of substitutes.

Ten minutes after being subbed in, sophomore forward Alyssa Madrigal scored a goal to make it a two point lead against Cypress. Momentum started to shift for the Hornets as they extended the lead 2-0.

Freshman midfielder Regina Sanchez-Molina was a force on the field, as she blocked the shots from the Chargers before it reached the Hornets net. Hornets freshman midfielder Melissa Flores-Salas came in, sprinted pass her defender and secured a goal shortly after of being subbed in. This gave the Hornets a 3-0 lead.

The defense stood tenacious and aggressive as they limited the fouls being called against them. Hornets Freshman defender Kaelah Basurto said, “the key to their defensive success. Working together and staying compact which is something we have been working on as a unit, not individually.”

As the clock winded down, the game got away from the Chargers and they had no answer for the Hornets. Although the Chargers played aggessive defense, but it was not enough and they were shut out. The Hornets defense returned the favor and shut the Chargers offense down and held on to claim the 3-0 victory.

“The defense did very well and I’m glad it resulted in a shutout, ” added Levin.

“Our chemistry is a good component for us which makes us better,” Marino added.

The Hornets are now (8-2-2) in conference and their next game will be Tuesday, Oct. 30, at Norco College.