Photo by Rob Varela

The Fusion's Emily Wynne, left, tries to kick the ball while being defended by the Pali Blues' Mele French during Saturday's match.

Photo by Rob Varela

The Fusion's Sarah Stoltz, left, battles Pali Blues' Rose Tantillo during Saturday's season opener at Buena High. The Fusion lost 5-0.

They stood together as teammates, shoulder to shoulder, for the first time as a group.

Over their shoulders, the scoreboard read — Home 0, Guest 5.

But the Ventura County Fusion women's soccer team still smiled, despite opening its inaugural W-League season with a 5-0 loss to powerhouse Pali Blues at Buena High.

"It was a good start to our season just getting everyone on the field together," said goalkeeper Tammy Lenham, who made 11 saves in frustrating the Blues for the better part of an hour.

Australian international Collette McCallum and USC graduate Rosie Tantillo scored two goals apiece and forward Liz Bogus added the pick of the bunch as the Blues scored five times in 19 minutes after being frustrated for 55 minutes.

While the Blues (1-0) entered their 12-game league schedule after two months of training and 12 preseason friendlies in their legs, the Fusion (0-1), awaiting many of its undergraduate college players to finish the spring semester, had barely a week of preparation time.

A few of the starters, including Lenham and defender Sarah Stoltz, were introducing themselves to their teammates before the opening whistle.

"I didn't know the girl's name to my left or right," said Stoltz, jokingly.

The Fusion opened its season without a glut of its key players, including goalkeeper Joslyn Slovek, the central defense pairing of goalkeeper Kasey Moore and Kasey Johnson and the midfield tandem of Megan Ohai and Ashley Nick.

"They definitely would have helped," said Lenham.

Johnson and Ohai were scheduled to start, but received word Saturday morning they needed one more form signed by USC athletic director Mike Garrett to be eligible to play.

"I got a text message at noon today," said Fusion coach Michelle Myers. "That forced us to shuffle things around at the back."

Winger Shari Nishikawa dropped to left back and Stolz and Catherine Calvert dropped from midfield into the center of defense.

Yet the Fusion held off a Blues' team that included McCallum and American international Danesha Adams for nearly an hour.

"It's Danesha, she's always tough to play against," said Calvert, who was going up against her former UCLA teammate. "But playing against the best only makes you better."

Lenham made a series of big saves in the first half, but lamented letting the Blues' first goal, a low, bouncing 18-yard shot from McCallulm that slipped through her fingertips and give the visitors the momentum.

Once the Blues finally had their opening, they used their superior fitness and form to crash through the opening.

It was in 2-0 in less than a minute as Tantillo collected a Bogus cross in the Fusion penalty and finished inside the right post.

Tantillo got a similar second in the 65th minute and, five minutes later, Adams, the former UCLA star, put a pass through for Bogus to finish crisply for 4-0.

McCallum found herself clean on goal for her second in the 74th minute, but only after teasing Lenham out her of area, faking a pass and curling the shot home.

Most of the Fusion's few scoring chances came through former Westlake High winger Kylie McDonald.

Former Oxnard College star Tenley Garcia came on as a substitute in the 34th minute and former Ventura College stars Alie Avina and Sienna Kluck-Escoto also came on as second-half substitutes.

"They did a good job," said Myers. "We look forward to getting another shot at (the Blues)."