After two physically demanding halves of play, the women’s soccer team took a loss in their sixth game of the year to Fresno City College, 7-0.

An early Jenn Crider save off of a one-timer by the Fresno forward gave DVC some re-assurance, as they were competing against a swift and aggressive offense. The shot was one of two that were saved by Crider just within the first five minutes.

Communication and being vocal were two areas that the Vikings had going for them — despite the constant pressure that was being put on the midfielders and defenders. Pamela Ramos had several reverse headers to try and win the battles of lob shots into the mid. Changing it up seemed like a good idea after seeing that the normal attack plan was just stalemating their opponents, hindering the Vikings from getting any shots on goal.

Captain Haley Paxton was one player who was on the field for the entirety of the game with minimal breaks.

“They had us on our toes,” Paxton said. “They were quick, they were brutal, and they were good. We are a better team than the score shows. I know we are a better team, and I know that we can come back, and I know that we can do a lot better. And next game we will be the team that will have that 7-0 win. We are just going to keep our heads up and do better.”

One thing that hasn’t changed despite the score is the team chemistry. Defender Desiree Mesa, a transfer from Notre Dame mentioned that the team is doing fine together, and that the last few games have just put them in a bind and that they are trying to find their way out of it.

“I think just, all-around we can physically, mentally and emotionally as a team get better. Just never give up, and play to the last whistle,” said Mesa.

The score did not reflect the effort that the Vikings put forth in the slightest, however the insight that they gained from the loss was monumental.

“There was nothing dirty or inappropriate or anything like that, just good hard soccer, and I think that’s something that we are learning — that as a team we have to get a little grittier, a little tougher. We have to get up and challenge 50/50 balls more, we have to get in harder on tackles… We’ve just got to be willing to put a little more energy in it overall,” said head coach Cailin Mullins.

The Vikings look to come back and compete against Los Medanos College on Friday Sept. 20 in their last regular season non-conference game, gearing up for league play. The Vikings finished with just two shots on goal against Fresno’s nine.