The Dons (1-5-4 Peninsula Athletic League, 4-7-4 overall) now stand in second to last place in the Bay Division, with a loss to the Burlingame Panthers (6-1-3 in PAL, 9-3-3 overall) on Feb. 1. The Panthers, who now sit at the top of the league, managed a 4-1 win despite the extremely rainy and windy conditions.
Burlingame scored their first goal halfway through the first half, coming as a result of a misplaced pass in Aragon’s defensive territory. The Panthers continued to press Aragon’s defense, but the Dons fought through the first half to keep the score at 1-0.
“During our pregame meeting we talked about how we should come out and try to possess the ball this game,” said senior captain and midfielder Sergio Zavala Sanchez. “I know we were the better team coming out because we outplayed them in the beginning.”
“Once we let them get into a rhythm after they scored their second goal, we slowly collapsed”
Starting the second half with the kickoff, the Dons quickly fell behind another two goals, giving Burlingame a 3-0 advantage.
“Once we let them get into a rhythm after they scored their second goal, we slowly collapsed,” Sanchez said.
However, the Dons were able to get one shot into the back of the net 15 minutes into the second half. Sophomore midfielder Jason Lamprecht shot and scored from outside the box.
The Panthers answered the Dons’ goal with one more of their own, bringing the final score to 4-1. Finishing fourth out of eight teams in the Bay Division last season, the Dons continue to struggle this season as well. With a new head coach, the team has had a difficult time adjusting their playing style.
“I think it really struck the team when we found out our original coach, Greg Markoulakis, wasn’t going to be around this year. With that being said, I knew the team’s morale had shifted from the moment we played our first couple of matches,” Sanchez said. “I think it will just take a couple of seasons for the team to get adjusted to a new style of play.”
