Women’s Soccer can’t finish off Moorpark

Despite Moorpark being a player down for most of the second half, the Lancers couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.

On a steaming hot Friday afternoon at Robinson Stadium, so hot that the referee called a water break midway through the first half, neither Moorpark nor the women’s Lancers soccer team could put the ball in the back of the net, with the game ending in a 0-0 draw on Sept 6.

Moorpark’s Rachel Deluca was shown a second yellow card in the 55th minute for colliding with the Lancers goalkeeper Angelique Ulmer. Deluca had received a yellow card in the first half for a high kick in the Lancers box.

But despite the Lancers playing with an extra man for the last 35 minutes of the game, they were not able to capitalize on their advantage.

“I thought we were playing really well,” said Coach Reggie Rivas, we just couldn’t finish in the final third.”

Cassandra Saavedra, who was playing the right wing, was able to cross the ball into the box a number of times, but no one was able to make a strong connection toward the net.

“It was good, we are progressing,” said Saavedra, “but we can’t finish. We have to work on that in practice.”

The only strong shots on goal came in the first half from Moorpark, Olivia Hicks crossed the ball and Shannon Buckley’s strong shot bounced off the Lancer crossbar, only to land at the feet of Deluca. Deluca’s low shot was saved by a diving Ulmer, to keep the Lancers in the game.

“It was really just a reaction save,” said Ulmer about the first half save, “I was just there, obviously I got my hands on it, and my team was there to get it out.”

Ulmer was to leave the game in the second half from injuries sustained in the collision with Deluca.

“It went well,” said Amanda Papac. “We still have to find our rhythm together as a team, we have work to do. But it is coming together.”