In a battle between the two teams tied for second place in the Big West Conference, Cal Poly Women’s Soccer came out victorious against UC Irvine in a tight 2-1 win on Oct. 19.
The Mustangs (7-2-9, 5-2-1 Big West) kept their foot on the gas against the Anteaters (7-4-5, 4-2-1 Big West) as they claimed their third straight win, boosting them to a solo second place in the Big West.
Offensively, Cal Poly shined again, as their tactical decisions and high intensity paid off with two goals scored in the first half of the match.
Senior midfielder Brennan Cole was the first Mustang to contribute to a goal by sending in a free kick from around midfield into the box, leading to an Anteater own goal off a deflected header.
Cole, known for her long kicks and physicality, has become a defensive staple for the Mustangs this season. With this set piece, she reminded everyone that she is also an offensive threat, having notched two goals on the season as well.
Just 10 minutes later, Cal Poly returned the favor as graduate transfer Madelyn Dougherty was caught undisciplined inside the Mustang box, giving UC Irvine a penalty kick that was capitalized on to make it tied up at one.
Dougherty, however, did not dwell on her mistake. Instead, she bounced back quickly to score again for Cal Poly just two minutes later; that goal ultimately became the game-winner.
The Top Drawer Soccer’s Midseason Top 100 honoree has scored back-to-back game-winning goals, with her lone goal against Long Beach State on Oct. 16 being the deciding one in that match.
Between the recent game-winners and currently leading the Big West in assists with seven, Dougherty is proving herself to be a highly dangerous player as the Mustangs near the start of the Big West Conference Tournament.
While senior forward Jessie Halladay and junior forward Annika Smith did not get on the board, they were still integral parts of the Mustang offensive, with both having breakaway opportunities on goal and applying the first layer of pressure on the Anteater defense.
On the defensive side, redshirt freshman Shannon Porubski lost her second penalty kick matchup of the season after Dougherty’s careless foul inside the box.
Porbuski did have several saves in the second half to prevent Irvine from leveling the score. This is her seventh win as the starting goalkeeper for Cal Poly, and she will look to increase that number as she enters the last week of regular season play.
Cal Poly Women’s Soccer has hit their stride the past two weeks, and it couldn’t come at a better time since the opportunity to secure their place in the postseason tournament is quickly dwindling as they are entering their last week of conference play.
Only the top six teams make it into the Big West Conference tournament, so Cal Poly will look to capitalize on the few chances they have left to earn points in the Big West standings.
The Mustangs’ first opportunity to lock up three more points with a win will be on home soil against a winless UC Riverside team on Oct. 23.