Although the team sits in the No. 1 in the Big West, Cal Poly Women’s Soccer’s fate is now in the hands of the top teams in the conference.
Cal Poly had the chance to clinch the Big West Regular Season title on Oct. 26 against No. 2 Cal State Northridge, but fell short in a 1-1 draw to finish their regular season.
The Mustangs (8-2-9, 6-2-2 Big West) fought hard against the high pressure and physicality of the Matadors (7-7-4, 5-1-3 Big West), but were unable to come away with the win and clinch their 11th regular season title in program history.
An unfortunate defensive error in the fifth minute gave CSUN the lead early in the match, forcing Cal Poly crawl their way out of a one goal deficit for the remainder of the game.
Cal Poly controlled the match offensively, keeping the majority of the possession and finding 12 shots throughout the duration of the match.
While the Mustangs outshot the Matadors 12-5, they struggled to finish their chances. Senior forward Jessie Halladay had great opportunities to find the back of the net, several within the six-yard box, but unfortunately took her shots high and wide of the frame.
It wasn’t until the 77th minute when true freshman defender Izzy Matteson scored a crucial equalizer and her first career goal to level the scoreline. Matteson found her opportunity off of a free kick taken by senior defender Brennan Cole and a deflection by graduate transfer midfielder Madelyn Dougherty.
For the second time this season, Cole was behind the ball on a set piece that shifted the momentum of a match – the other coming from Cal Poly’s 2-1 victory over UC Irvine on Oct.19.
Matteson had come on as a defensive substitute only two minutes prior and had an immediate impact on the match with her first ever recorded shot and goal.
“As I enter the field, I always want to be able to be a game changer and make a difference in the game, and I’m happy I could do that tonight,” Matteson said.
While Head Coach Bernardo Silva was not pleased with the final result, he did acknowledge the work that Matteson has been putting in to earn the minutes off the bench.
“She’s just a grinder,” Silva said. “She’s somebody that does a good job of grinding in the dark and waiting for the opportunity, and so I’m happy for her and hopefully the first of many.”
Notably, the Mustang offensive production has been spread amongst several players as of late, with new players registering goals on the scoresheet.
Halladay and junior forward Annika Smith are still co-leading the Big West in goals scored with seven, but neither of them have scored in at least two weeks. Smith’s last time getting on the scoresheet was with a brace against Cal State Fullerton on Oct. 12, and Halladay hasn’t scored since the tie against Cal State Bakersfield on Oct. 2.
Over the past two weeks, Dougherty has carried a heavier offensive load, scoring two goals, and redshirt freshman forward Ashley Brewer and Matteson scored their first goals in critical moments for the Mustangs.
Cal Poly has shown new angles of attack with their newfound offensive spread, but Smith and Halladay will both look to get production going as they begin the Big West Championships next week.
“Annika and Jessie have been attracting a lot of attention. They’re getting double and triple teamed, so they’ve got to get better,” Silva said.
While Cal Poly did not win the regular season title today, not all hope is lost of claiming that title and hosting the Big West Championships at Spanos Stadium.
Seeding for the tournament is sure to move as all other Big West teams besides Cal Poly play one more game. While Cal Poly is still sitting in first, they will look to UCSD, Long Beach State, and CSU Bakersfield to hold UCSB, CSUN, and CSUF to a tie or a loss to secure the title.
Since the title race is now out of their control and their regular season has officially ended, the Mustangs will look to hit the reset button and prepare for the Big West Championships.
“The reset is going to need to happen because the postseason is a different beast,” Silva said. “We’ll get back to work and get better, and try to improve on the aspects that weren’t good enough today.”
Cal Poly’s fate will be decided on Thursday, Oct. 30 when the final Big West Conference matches take place for the other schools. That will determine who the regular season champions are, when and where the Mustangs’ first game is and who is between them and a Big West Championship title.