LATE SURGE FALLS SHORT

The Hornets dropped a nail-biter on Wednesday afternoon falling 13-12 at Saddleback College in a key Orange Empire Conference matchup.

It's been a tough couple of weeks for Fullerton as the team has been playing short-handed due to a string of hard-luck injuries. The loss puts the team at 14-9 overall and 2-3 in the Orange Empire Conference, while the Bobcats move up to 10-8 overall and 3-1 in the OEC.

It was a back-and-forth contest from the opening sprint with both squads trading goals and momentum throughout. The Hornets matched the Bobcats nearly shot-for-shot but came up one goal shy in the final minute despite a late offensive push. Fullerton trailed 12-9 early in the fourth but rallied with 3 unanswered goals (2 from Spoonhower and Fernandez) to pull within one. Despite several late possessions, the Hornets could not convert the game-tying goal as the clock ran out.

FC's Shayla Summers scored a game-high 5 goals for Fullerton, including 3 straight in the third period that kept the Hornets within striking distance. Addison Spoonhower and Eliana Fernandez both added 2 goals, while Ava Spear, Isabella Castaneda, Julianna Garcia, and Alissa Jacobs all found the back of the net once.

In goal, Sienna Bertsch and Audrey Jurado combined for 11 saves while facing 37 Saddleback shots. Their strong efforts in the cage helped keep the game close despite Saddleback's balanced scoring attack.

Up Next: Fullerton will look to bounce back when they travel to Long Beach City College this weekend to take part in the Battle of the Beach Tournament October 24-25 (this Friday-Saturday). The first match will be Friday against Sierra College at 11:30 am.