In a battle of local colleges, Mesa faced off against San Diego City College. The Olympians held off the Knights in a tightly contested battle on their home field. Their strong defensive play and ball control contributed heavily to the 1-0 victory. Freshman Rebecca Wardle scored the only goal in the game when she fired the ball into the back of the net off an assist from the speedy Yasmina Taketa.

Eleven-year head coach Todd Curran has set up an organized system that has proved to be effective, even with a squad packed with new faces. The team controlled the ball exceptionally well in the first half as City College struggled to put together a steady attack.

The midfield played a huge role in discouraging the Knights. Freshmen Jocelyn Seaman and Danielle Carr kept the action away from their goalkeeper and gave Mesa multiple opportunities to put together an offensive attack.

Sophomore Jessica Hernandez was able to expose the weaknesses of City College with her great ability to control the ball with her feet. She was able to keep her defenders cemented as they just watched her move seamlessly from left to right and penetrate their defense.

The Knights came out in the second half with some intensity and put together better attacks than they had at the start of the game. Their opportunity came late in the game as one of their players broke away and headed towards goalkeeper Tiffany Apple looking to tie the game. The freshman goalkeeper kept her poise as she snatched the ball mid-air with both hands and deflated any hopes of winning that City College had.

Coach Curran knew coming into the game that his team was more athletic than City College, but in the end, he still felt that they could have played better. The search for their offensive firepower continues after losing their three leading goal scorers from last season. They had several opportunities to score but were not able to capitalize. “When we don’t score goals early, we don’t play as composed and relaxed,” said Curran. “It puts more pressure on our goalkeeper.”

The team still has their sights set on making the playoffs and defending their Pacific Coast Conference title. There are 11 games left in the season, with their current record at 6-1-3, every game will be crucial.