With this game being the second time Fullerton has played Cypress, the Hornet’s pre-game was nothing but an overview of the Chargers playbook.

The Hornets were simply no easy competition for the Chargers.

Being extremely eager to get their first victory, the team stepped on the field with nothing less than 110 percent of effort and ready to battle the entire 90 minute match.

Fullerton dominated the first half of the game controlling early possession of the ball with the willingness to compete and the physicality to match it.

The Hornets opened up the game with several early shots on goal as the Chargers shortly followed up with their shots mainly in the second half.

The score was left 0-0 at halftime, yet the Chargers were even more eager to put the first goal on the scoreboard.

25 minutes into the second half Charger midfielder Julissa Zuniga puts the ball in the back of the net due to miscommunication from Fullerton and a non-cleared ball too close in front of the Hornet’s goal.

Not too long after the first goal, Hornet defender/forward Amalia Serna sets up a crossed ball to teammate Freshman forward Tatsiana Loscutoff to score and tie up the game at the 74th minute.

The Hornets now permanent goalie Freshman Marla Debarros had a tough game with three miraculous saves but fell the one goal too short in the second half.

Hesitation is something that Debarros says she must continue to work on but this game showed just how much practice makes improvements.

Along with Debarros, Freshman defender and captain Irene Jimenez couldn’t be more proud of her team.

“Everyone put in their hardest effort and confidence and that definitely showed in the way we played today,” said Jimenez.

With the team proud of themselves for their performance, the coaching staff was right beside them.

Head coach Pamela Lewin expresses how proud she is of the improvements and opportunities her team is making but still lacks the main ingredient of a win, and that is to score.

“This is one of the many things we work on during practice, is shooting, finishing and knowing the difference between the two and hopefully that will be in our favor for our next game,” Lewin said.

One of the few Sophomores on the team, Amalia Serna has helped the team tremendously throughout the season and has watched these young players develop into the team she has started to envision.

“I have seen the team grow towards each other and I believe you can see that on the field now. This is not the same team that started a month ago, it’s growing and it’s a good kind of grow,” said Serna.

Serna’s mentality for the game is nothing but inspirational, for herself as a player and for her team. To simply leave your heart out on field play every game like it could be your last.

These girls have come a long way when it comes to intense training and creative practices, yet have struggled with not only scoring but with connecting as a whole.

This game proved that all the blood sweat and tears could be the start of a successful second round of conference.

Catch the Hornets play their next game against Irvine Valley College on Friday October 21 at 3:00 on Fullerton’s home field.