For only the third time in 12 games, the Pirates' women's soccer team fell to defeat, falling 1-0 to visiting Moorpark Tuesday evening. For the second straight game, VC (6-3-3, 1-1-1) was unable to take advantage of limited offensive chances in the shutout loss to the Raiders. Ventura had seven shots in the game with three on goal.
The first half was a defensive battle with neither team getting much going at the goal. The Raiders did get a shot on a counter attack in the 14th minute of play, and Ventura returned the favor a short time later, with neither attack yielding a result. The teams moved into intermission in a scoreless tie.
Ventura had a great cross in the 56th minute with multiple chances at a score, including a shot with the Moorpark goalie out of play, but none of the shots found the net.
The Raiders generated their own opportunity 10 minutes later with a pair of shots, one turned back by Pirate goalie Sibella Donnelly, and another sailing over the crossbar.
MC finally broke the ice with a nice give and go pass and run that made it past Donnelly and into the net.
While the Pirates upped the intensity in the final 20 minutes of play, they were unable to punch through a score in the defeat.
Donnelly ended the game with four saves in goal while Andrea Ibarra, Emily Ramirez and Crystal Vargas all had shots on target offensively for VC.
Ventura has little time to dwell on the result as they next travel to Los Angeles Pierce College on Friday Oct. 6.