Cal Poly Women’s Soccer hold on to a Big West tournament spot loosened Wednesday night, as the Mustangs fall to UC Riverside.
Cal Poly (6-7-5, 3-4-3 Big West) fell behind UC Riverside (4-12-1, 1-2,7 Big West) after a first-half penalty kick and a second-half goal.
The Mustangs struggled to get going early, managing one first-half shot on UCR’s six. Cal Poly’s lone first-half shot came in the 22nd minute when senior defender Siena Urzua sent an effort to the bottom right corner, which UCR goalkeeper saved.
The Highlanders broke through just before halftime after a foul on Cal Poly junior defender Mya Clarke in the box. UCR scored in the 43rd minute to take a 1-0 lead.
Cal Poly came out with more urgency after the break and outshot UCR 4-2 in the second half. Senior forward Annika Smith forced a save in the 48th minute with a shot to the bottom center, and freshman defender Kate Nunes sent a shot over the top in the 57th.
UCR’s second goal came three minutes after Mustangs junior goalkeeper Shannon Porubski made her only save of the night, stopping a bottom-center shot from UCR’s Finley Aghassi.
Cal Poly kept pushing; freshman forward Madison Lujan took a shot on goal in the 81st minute but was denied, and in the 90th, junior midfielder Miah Thomas took a last-chance shot but hit the right post, the closest the Mustangs came to scoring.
In the end, the Mustangs finished with five shots, three on target.
The loss, the Mustangs’ second straight defeat after a 1-0 loss to UC Irvine, leaves the Mustangs tied with Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara for sixth place in the Big West.
Cal Poly can still earn a spot in the postseason Big West tournament with a win over Sacramento State in its final regular-season game at Spanos Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 1 p.m.