Jeffrey JimThe Santa Ana Dons women’s soccer team, despite controlling the game, fell short of scoring in their season opener, ending in a 0-0 tie against the Cuyamaca Coyotes on Friday.
The Dons excitement was noticeable as they assembled at home for their first game of the season.
With only one returning sophomore, all the players on the team are freshmen, which separates this season’s team from others.
“They are eager, they have a drive already, and they have to really work with each other and build a bond. They’re all coming from different schools,” said head coach Jaymie Baquero. “They have an energy about them, there’s plenty of excitement and they’ve brought that all together.”
While the team never scored throughout the game, many of the players demonstrated incredible athleticism, such as defenseman Gia Hinojosa, who ran the field like a track star. Hinojosa took some uncontested kicks but was unable to capitalize on some near misses.
Other standouts were forward Diane Bernal, who aggressively pursued the ball and threw herself into tight pockets. In the second half, Bernal had to exit the game because of an apparent knee scare.
Bernal soon reentered the game with a determined look. She said that her knee “was alright” after the game.
Defenseman Amy Ramos ran the center of the field and passed to teammates to open up opportunities but the Coyotes proved too tough. While the Dons seemed to leave it all on the field, assistant coach Jerry Keeler hammered home the importance of playing aggressively. “Nobody that we play against is gonna be as nice as we were today.”
Adding to the disappointment of the tie is that the Dons have defeated the Coyotes three times since 2016.
The mostly freshman team still has time to turn things around and excel, with 18 more regular-season games left.
Women’s soccer plays next against LA Valley Monarchs at home on Tuesday.
