Cal Poly women’s soccer picked up a 3-0 victory against CSU Bakersfield on Thursday, Oct. 7 inside Alex G. Spanos stadium, giving them sole possession of first place in the Big West.
The Mustangs (8-6-0, 4-1-0 Big West) controlled the pace of the game, as they seemed to be one step ahead of the Roadrunners (1-9-2, 0-2-1 Big West) from start to finish.
There were contributions up and down the roster, with a total of 10 substitutions throughout the game. Freshman goalkeeper Mackenzie Samuel got the start in goal for Cal Poly and was the only player to log the full 90 minutes. Samuel had one save in the shutout performance.
The Mustangs jumped out to an immediate 1-0 lead when sophomore forward Nikki Trucco scored her team-best seventh goal of the season in just the second minute of the game, setting the stage for what would be a strong game for the entire roster.
The team combined for 27 shots, 12 on target, on the night while only allowing a single shot from the Roadrunners. Despite the Mustangs putting three goals in the net, Bakersfield goalkeeper Flavia Burrell recorded an impressive nine saves for the Roadrunners.
The Mustangs doubled their lead in the 39th minute when the team’s leading assist artist sophomore forward Olivia Ortiz scored her second goal of the season. Cal Poly would take the 2-0 lead into the halftime locker room.
The Mustangs continued their dominant play into the second half. The pace of play began to slow down as it was evident Cal Poly was in control, but not before the lead blossomed to 3-0.
The third goal came on a rocket outside of the box off the right foot of sophomore defender Kylie Rojas. The assist was from redshirt junior midfielder Sidra Bugsch, her second of the night.
The Mustangs continued to play strong defense, maintain possession and dictate pace until the final whistle sounded.
The combination of a Cal Poly win and UC Davis loss on the night allowed for the Mustangs to take over the top spot in the Big West. Sophomore midfielder Camille LaFaix spoke on what the move into first place means to the team.
“I mean you can tell by our smiles, [being in first place is] an honor,” LaFaix said. “I think it’s due to how much we want to win, how hard we’re working at practice and how much we’re playing with our heart out there.”
The Mustangs will look to maintain the momentum as they head into another Big West matchup against CSU Northridge on Sunday, Oct. 10 at 12 p.m. back inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium.