UC Davis
Cal Poly Women's Soccer Returns to Spanos to Take on UC Davis
10/4/2022 10:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly women's soccer returns to Alex G. Spanos Stadium on Thursday to host UC Davis in Big West action. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
The Mustangs (5-6-1, 2-1-1 Big West) are coming off a 3-0 win at CSUN that saw them score three goals in the final 12 minutes to roll past the Matadors. With 7 points through four matches, Cal Poly is currently tied for third in the conference table with Cal State Fullerton (2-1-1 Big West) and defending Big West Tournament champion UC Irvine (1-0-4 Big West).
FOLLOW CAL POLY THIS WEEK: Thursday's match will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Zachary Anderson-Yoxsimer providing play-by-play alongside analyst and professional soccer player Grace Cutler. Follow Cal Poly women's soccer on Twitter (@CPWomensSoccer) for live updates throughout the match.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC DAVIS: The Mustangs lead the all-time series with the Aggies 10-7-2. Last year, Cal Poly lost 2-0 at UC Davis. The Mustangs will be seeking their first home victory over the Aggies since Sept. 30, 2012.
SCOUTING UC DAVIS: With a 1-1-2 conference record, UC Davis (4-4-4) currently sits in a tie for sixth in the Big West standings with Hawai'i and UC Santa Barbara. The Aggies suffered a 1-0 defeat at the Rainbow Wahine on Sept. 15 to open conference play and earned draws against UC Irvine and CSUN prior to picking up their first Big West victory Sunday at UC San Diego with a 3-0 result. Sophomore midfielder Genavieve Fontes netted a brace for UC Davis in that match. She leads the Aggies with three goals and one assist this season. Junior midfielder Leslie Fregoso, a Preseason All-Conference selection and a 2021 All-Big West First Team honoree, is also a key cog in the UC Davis attack, with two goals and two assists this year. Sophomore goalkeeper Caeley Goldstein has started every match for the Aggies this season and ranks third in the conference in goals against average (1.00), owns the fourth-best save percentage in the Big West (.782) and has three clean sheets. UC Davis ranks second in the conference in fouls committed per match with 11 and is averaging the third fewest saves per game in the conference.
THE TRIO IN THE MIDDLE: Senior midfielders Camille Lafaix and Megan Hansen, and sophomore midfielder Peja Balanon lead the Mustangs in goals with three each. Lafaix scored her second game-winner this year and the sixth of her career in the 78th minute of Sunday's win at CSUN. Hansen buried her second penalty kick goal of the season against the Matadors. She has now converted all five of her penalty kick attempts during her Cal Poly career. Balanon leads the team in points with 7, highlighted by her brace in the Mustangs' conference opener against UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 15.
SHUTOUT MACHINE: Sophomore goalkeeper Mackenzie Samuel recorded her fourth clean sheet of the season during Sunday's victory over CSUN. Across 16 career starts, Samuel has eight shutouts. Samuel is third in the Big West in shutouts per match (.400) and fourth in saves per match (4.70). She also owns a .746 save percentage and a goals against average of 1.627.
SERVIN' IT UP: Freshman forward Emily Lieber and sophomore McKenna Carbon each have three assists this season, tied for the fourth most in the Big West. Carbon is averaging 0.300 assists per match, the fifth most in the conference. Two of Lieber's helpers came on game-winning goals in road wins over Minnesota and Sacramento State.
A WHOLE LOT OF FIRSTS: Five Mustangs have recorded their first collegiate point this season — Balanon, Lieber, freshman forward Caylie Button and freshmen defenders Camryn Penn and Annie Larson. Sophomore defender Aynsley Conner, who played for Minnesota last season, earned her first point as a Mustang on Sept. 22, assisting on Lieber's game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over San Diego.
STILL AN IRONWOMAN: Sophomore defender Emma Brown saw her streak of never stepping off the pitch this season come to an end during Sunday's match against CSUN, getting subbed off in the 85th minute. She played every minute in Cal Poly's first 11 matches this season and leads the team in minutes with 1,075. Brown was a United Soccer Coaches All-West Region second team selection last year, and prior to this season was one of 35 players in Division I women's soccer to be named a USC "Defender to Watch."
UP NEXT: Cal Poly travels to UC Riverside at 7 p.m. next Thursday, Oct. 13.
