Nearly two months into their season, Cal Poly Women’s Soccer remains unbeaten at Spanos Stadium.
The Mustangs (3-1-7, 1-1 Big West) earned their first in-conference win under newly appointed head coach Bernardo Silva in a 2-0 shutout against UC San Diego.
This was Cal Poly’s first win since Sept. 4 and their first win against the Tritons (2-5-4, 0-2 Big West) in nearly two years.
Cal Poly’s high-octane offense was on full display throughout the match, especially within the opening 15 minutes of the second half, in which both goals were scored.
Despite a lack of offensive opportunities in corner kicks, the Mustangs made a total of 15 efforts towards the net throughout the match, 10 of which coming in the final 45 minutes of the game.
The ultimate difference-maker was produced by junior forward Annika Smith, where she found her fourth goal of the season after following through a ricocheted ball produced by senior midfielder Madelyn Dougherty.
Senior forward Jessie Halladay would double Cal Poly’s lead only six minutes later, burying a shot in the back of the net from the left side of the box. The goal was Halladay’s sixth of the season and allowed her to reclaim her title as the sole leader of goals scored within the Big West.
“I have to give it up to the people around me, and I’m just lucky to get in good spots and have some good finishes,” Halladay said.
Halladay’s 2025 season has been her best as a Mustang. Of the nine games she has appeared in, Halladay has scored one goal or more in five of them and has been crucial to the Mustangs tallying just one loss across their first 11 games.
Locking down Spanos Stadium
On the defensive side of the ball, Cal Poly worked as a comprehensive unit. Despite allowing UCSD to attempt six corner kick opportunities and 13 fired shots, the Mustangs required redshirt freshman goalkeeper Shannon Porubski to come down with only four saves en route to the shutout.
This is the second consecutive match in which Porubski has made four saves. It is also the third time this season in which Porubski has recorded a clean sheet, and her first within the Big West.
This was the Mustangs’ first conference win under the Cal Poly 2.0 program, a project helmed by Silva to usher in a new era for the Cal Poly women’s soccer team.
“It’s really special because we’ve been working really hard to get our first win here at Spanos this year,” Silva said. “It’s always fun to play at home, play in front of your family, your friends and the community.”
The Mustangs will look to build upon their momentum in their next matchup against UC Davis on Sunday, Sept. 28 at the Aggie Soccer Field at 1 p.m.