Search for the Dons' first win continues after first loss at home

The Dons had their second home game of the season on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Monarch Lions, ending in a 1-0 loss. The team had an uncomfortable start as the offense wasn’t as fluid as they would have liked.

With such a high intensity tempo from the Monarchs, the Dons went down one goal in the first half and could not level the score before the half ended.

Forward Diane Bernal before passing the ball forward to get an attack going. Photos by Alexis Vega / el Don

During the last few minutes of the game, many of the offensive players, such as Victoria Diaz, Diane Bernal and Ashley Martinez, started putting more pressure on the Monarchs to try and pull back a result.

The Dons tried building their offense in the first half by playing from the back with their two centerbacks, Alexis Chavez and Ashley Merino.

The plays were crucial for the team as they set a tempo to start the move up and create attacks against the Monarchs, but many of the plays weren’t working as they would’ve liked.

Forward Victoria Diaz moving away from the midfield before leading an attack forward. Photos by Alexis Vega / el Don

A quick counterattack by the Monarchs led to the Dons going down by one goal eight minutes before the end of the first half.

“We were the better team,” said Chavez. “I think we could’ve done better. I feel like there’s always room for improvement.”

Into the second half, much of the team started looking more comfortable on the ball, which helped to slow the pace of the game down in favor of the Dons. This led to many fouls committed on the field by the Monarchs.

A lot of the same plays continued from the first half as Alexis Chavez and Ashley Martinez were putting in the necessary tackles to keep the Dons out of danger and keep plays going to start an offensive attack from the backline.

Defender Alexis Chavez playing out from the back to get the tempo flowing into the midfield. Photos by Alexis Vega / el Don

In the final minutes of the game, a result was not found, and the game was left at a 1-0 loss for the Dons. Improvements were made throughout the field and buildup by the Dons, which made the defeat disappointing.

“That team wasn’t better than us, but the scoreline doesn’t reflect that. “Anyone watching will see they weren’t better than us, it’s a little frustrating,” said head coach Jaymie Baquerro.

The team is improving game by game, as many of the players are incoming freshmen, which makes them hungry to find their first win of the season.

They face their next challenge at home against LA Harbor College on Friday, Sept. 12.