Cal Poly Women’s Soccer suffered a 1-0 loss to No. 1 Stanford on Sunday evening. The Mustangs (1-1) took on the Cardinal (1-0) in a home game, setting out for revenge after Stanford knocked Cal Poly out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season.
In seven matchups against Stanford in program history, Cal Poly has yet to win a matchup. This also marked the sixth time in program history that Cal Poly has faced a nationally ranked team in the regular season.
Stanford outshone Cal Poly offensively, outshooting them 17-4 and holding a 5-2 advantage in shots on goal. The Mustangs were unable to capitalize on any of their shots, walking away with a shutout loss for the first time since their match against Hawaii on Oct. 9, 2025.
The lone goal of the game came in the 33rd minute from Stanford, in the form of a shot to the top right post. Seconds later, defender Sam Walker tried to answer the goal with one of her own, but was unable to drive it into the net.
Reigning Big West Offensive Player of the Year Annika Smith was held to zero shots in her 74 minutes of play time.
Freshman forward Madison Lujan came out swinging after being subbed into the game in the 80th minute. She was responsible for half of Cal Poly’s shots in Sunday’s match. Lujan made a late-game push to get the Mustangs on the board, with two back-to-back attempts in the 88th minute, which Stanford’s goalkeeper ultimately saved.
While Cal Poly struggled offensively, goalkeeper Shannon Porubski held the Mustangs down defensively, recording four saves in her 19th consecutive start. While Stanford came out on top, Porubski’s goalkeeping kept the game close enough for Cal Poly to have a chance at a comeback, and proved that the Mustangs can compete with one of the highest-ranked teams in the country.
As conference play in the Big West has yet to kick off, Cal Poly does not have a ranking within the standings. They will continue non-conference play against a competitive slate of teams until their first Big West matchup on Sept. 23.
Next, Cal Poly will host Senior Night as they face San Jose State on Aug. 23 at 1 p.m. in Spanos Stadium.