Facing one of the Big West’s premier offenses, Cal Poly (5-5-3, 2-2-1 Big West) fell 2-1 to Utah Valley (7-4-3, 3-0-2 Big West) at Spanos Stadium on Saturday.
The Mustangs entered the evening with a specific tactical game plan to contain Utah Valley’s high-powered offense, which features some of the conference’s top goal scorers. With so little margin for error, head coach Bernardo Silva said the team did their best.
“We did a pretty good job of defending her for most of the game. But special players, they need half a chance,” Silva said.
A costly turnover on a throw-in let the Wolverines break through for the opening goal, followed quickly by a second tally that capitalized on defensive box-coverage errors.
Despite falling behind, Cal Poly found a crucial spark early in the second half. Staying true to their high-intensity, vertical identity, the momentum shifted when a ball was played into space. Pacing the attack, sophomore forward Kammy MacLennan drove past the defense and slipped a shot into the back of the net for her first career collegiate goal.
“I was very excited. I was pretty much jumping for joy. I just wanted the momentum to stay that way and go get another,” MacLennan said.
While pleased with the second-half push, Silva noted Cal Poly prioritizes defensive organization and emphasized that the Mustangs created enough chances to warrant a different result on another night.
“They were clinical in the chances that they created and we were not and that’s the bummer about today,” Silva said. “We’re going to look back on film; we’re going to get better from those two [goals].”
With some bumps and bruises across the roster, Cal Poly plans to rest, regroup, and keep the squad together before heading to Northridge to take on CSUN on Oct. 14. After securing positive memories and a title last season, the squad is focused on bouncing back and bringing home three points.