Cal Poly women’s soccer dropped their first conference game of the season to UC Davis by the score of 2-0 on Sunday, Oct. 3 inside Aggie Soccer Field.
The Mustangs (7-6-0. 3-1-0 Big West) struggled with miscues on both sides of the ball, leading to a victory for the Aggies (8-4, 3-1 Big West).
The attack was consistent for both sides in the first half, but it was UC Davis who struck first in the 20th minute. Aggie midfielder Risa Yamada sent the ball past redshirt freshman goalkeeper Lindsay Kellogg to give them the 1-0 lead.
The 1-0 lead for UC Davis would remain going into halftime.
As the second half progressed, it appeared as though the Mustangs had found an answer for the Aggies’ offense, as they played a much cleaner game compared to the first 45 minutes. Cal Poly finished with just five fouls compared to UC Davis’s nine, and just two offsides compared to their opponent’s six. However, it was the second of those offsides that would end up costing the Mustangs the game.
Following a yellow card on UC Davis defender Janessa Staab in the 63rd minute, Cal Poly had a golden opportunity to equalize after a downfield pass was sent into the box. However, the ball was whistled dead for an offside on the Mustangs.
That final offensive miscue would prove to be the nail in the coffin, as 13 minutes later the Aggies would score again, this time off a free-kick volley sent into the bottom left of the net to make it 2-0.
Despite the opportunities they had in the second half, the Mustangs still found themselves outshot 17 to 10 on the game. On a more positive note, Cal Poly recorded three more saves than UC Davis, as Kellogg prevented six goals compared to the four goals saved by the Aggies.
The Mustangs will look to get back to their winning ways when they return home to Alex G. Spanos Stadium to face the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners on Thursday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m..