Cal Poly Women’s Soccer built its identity around the defensive structure Head Coach Bernardo Silva prioritizes. But as the Mustangs entered the postseason, one problem remained: turning scoring opportunities into goals.
The Mustangs advanced to the Big West Championship semifinals after a dramatic overtime win against California Baptist, but their season ended with a 3-0 loss to No. 1 seed Utah Valley on Nov. 7. The result reflected a challenge that followed Cal Poly throughout the season: creating chances was not always the problem, but finishing them was.
Four of Cal Poly’s seven losses this season have ended in one-goal defeats, highlighting how narrow the margins have been for the Mustangs.
“I feel like we’re doing everything to put ourselves in positions to score, but unfortunately, it’s been a problem all year,” Silva said.
Entering the semifinal, Cal Poly had recorded 193 shots through 20 games but scored just 21 goals. The Mustangs also struggled to find the scoring depth they had last season, when then-senior forward Jessie Halladay and current senior forward Annika Smith led the Mustangs in goals.
“We are getting the opportunities,” Smith said. “We’re just struggling with the final ball and being really hungry to actually put the ball in the back of the net.”
The struggle followed the Mustangs into the postseason. Against California Baptist on Nov.4, Cal Poly remained scoreless through regulation despite outshooting the Lancers 12-8. With a penalty shootout looming, junior forward Isis Salazar-Ortega found the back of the net with four seconds remaining in double overtime to send Cal Poly to the semifinals.
Three days later, against No. 1-seeded Utah Valley, the Mustangs struggled to match that attacking pressure. They took just five shots, two on target, compared to the Wolverines’ 23 shots and seven on target. Junior midfielder Miah Thomas had one of Cal Poly’s best chances with a free kick, but it was saved. Late opportunities from Salazar-Ortega and Smith also failed to produce a goal.
The challenge has also shifted how players approach their roles on the field. Smith said she has focused less on her individual scoring totals and more on creating opportunities for her teammates.
“Honestly, it’s not all about the goals,” Smith said. “There’s other things that I can do off the ball, and my teammates can do, to create chances for us.”
While the Mustangs have worked to improve their attacking production, they’ve also worked to keep opponents from finding the same openings defensively. That commitment starts with the pressure they put on the ball and the work they do to protect their goal.
Silva said the Mustangs’ defensive approach starts with the press and extends to blocking shots, covering for teammates and protecting the box. He said part of it can’t be coached.
“There’s an art to defending that is technical, but then there’s also a heart piece,” Silva said. “You don’t teach it. It’s a level of pride.”
That mindset starts with the forwards. Smith described the front line as the team’s first line of defense, with winning the ball high putting Cal Poly closer to goal. She said this year’s group has also emphasized defending for one another.
Behind them, senior defender Siena Urzua, the team’s defensive captain, said the back line’s job is to protect the middle of the field and the space behind it. Urzua and junior midfielder and pressing captain Miah Thomas push the team to stay defensive before winning possession.
Urzua said the Mustangs have worked to improve their consistency defensively, learning from moments when lapses in concentration have cost them.
“You turn off for a minute and you get punished. Staying locked in for a full 90 minutes is an absolute must,” Urzua said. She added that she offers small reminders, especially on set pieces.
The Mustangs’ leaders said finding the balance between defensive discipline and attacking freedom remains important. Urzua described the team’s approach as earning the right to move forward by first winning possession and establishing control of the ball.
“We always talk about earning the right to play, [which means] winning the ball back, establishing possession and then we earn the right to play and go forward and be super vertical,” Urzua said.
Urzua, Smith and Thomas form what Urzua calls the team’s spine through the middle of the field, with junior goalkeeper Shannon Porubski behind them.
Silva called the balance between conceding less and taking more risks “a fine line.”
Smith said she tries to set the tone by staying positive and encouraging the attack to take chances.
“You can take more risks on the offensive side than the defensive side,” Smith said.
Even a goal conceded doesn’t defeat the group. “It almost makes us hungrier for a goal,” Urzua said.
Smith said the group’s belief hasn’t wavered.
“Just never losing faith and hope,” Smith said. “There’s always chances.”
Cal Poly finished the season 8-8-5, reaching the Big West semifinals for the fifth time in six seasons. The Mustangs showed resilience in earning a postseason spot and finding a way past California Baptist, but their loss to Utah Valley brought the season-long scoring struggle into focus.
The defensive foundation helped carry Cal Poly into the postseason. Next, the Mustangs must turn the opportunities they continue to create into the goals needed to compete for another championship.