The Lady Vaqueros showed skill and strength but early goals by Oxnard College led to a tough 4-2 loss, on Friday night.

There was a strong energy circulating around the field when the game started. The Glendale bench was alive and cheering for its team. Some of that energy was lost though, when Oxnard College scored in the 2nd minute of the game. A shot from forward Marina Pedone of Glendale looked promising but just went wide.

In the 13th minute, as an Oxnard player attempted a shot on goal, Glendale goalie Esther Rodriguez blocked the shot upward as it ricocheted off the top crossbar. The ball landed at the feet of Oxnard forward Brittany Charles, who shot it passed the goalkeeper.

Head Coach Jorge Mena pulled Rodriguez out and put in freshman Carolina Gutierrez immediately after the second goal.

Oxnard was able to get one more goal in the 20th minute when Ashley Arana made a run and drove a low cross to Ashley Castillo who kicked it in.

Glendale generates the style of play which makes the other team create mistakes. Even though they were down by three goals, they continued to attack.

The team had a great chance to score in the 25th minute, as forward Ashley Givens shot the ball to the far left of the goal post with pace. It was narrowly saved by the Oxnard goalkeeper.

The Vaq’s were able to breakthrough in the 29th minute. A ball crossed in from the left and was headed in powerfully to the goal by America Lopez. This goal reenergized the team and made Oxnard a bit uneasy. This was evident when Mayra Aguiniga received a yellow card for pushing a Glendale player in the back.

The team went to halftime with the score 3-1.

Heat played a factor throughout the game, and this was evident during the second half as players looked extremely exhausted on both sides.

The Lady Vaqs continued to press the Oxnard defense. Glendale’s Sharis Harootun made runs on the left side and helped to open up the field for teammates. She used a step-over move three times and each time she got the defender to bite on the fake. Harootun said, “They always fall for that.”

Harootun’s tricks helped her score the best goal of the game in the 57th minute. She was attempting to control a cross for a teammate, but the ball bounced a little higher than expected. There was no time to wait for the ball because Oxnard defenders were closing in on her quick. Harootun kicked a half-volley with the ball two feet above the ground. The ball flew into the goal with extreme speed.

Glendale now felt like it was able to come back and win the game. For the next 30 minutes, no real chances were made by either team. Oxnard was attempting to hold down the fort and take the win.

In the closing moments Oxnard forward Ashley Castillo put the game out of reach when she scored to make the game 4-2.

After the game, coach Mena gave a long speech to the team. He spoke about how important the first 15 minutes are. “Even professionals have ups and downs,” he said. Mena feels that his team can make the playoffs if the mental mistakes are eliminated.

This was Glendale’s last preseason game. Their next regular season game is Friday at Citrus College at 3 p.m.