Mustangs Face Minnesota for First Time

Thursday, August 25

Minneapolis, MN / Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium

4 P.M.

Minnesota

Aynsley Conner, a sophomore transfer from Minnesota, made her first career start as a Mustang during Sunday's match against Iowa.

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Mustangs Face Minnesota for First Time

8/23/2022 10:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly women's soccer takes on its second straight Big Ten opponent when the Mustangs travel to Minnesota on Thursday for a 4 p.m. PST match where both teams will be seeking their first victory of the season.

Cal Poly (0-2) is coming off a hard-fought 1-0 defeat to Iowa on Sunday in its home opener. It was the Mustangs' first battle with a Big Ten foe since 2017.

The Gophers sit at 0-1-1 entering Thursday's match after opening the year on the road against a pair of Big 12 teams. On Aug. 18, Minnesota earned a 1-1 draw at Baylor, and this past Sunday the Gophers suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat at No. 7 TCU, the defending Big 12 champions. The Gophers held the Horned Frogs, who advanced to the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament last season, scoreless for nearly 85 minutes, before surrendering two goals in the final five minutes.

FOLLOW CAL POLY: Thursday's match will be televised on Big Ten Network Plus and you can follow the live stats here. Follow Cal Poly women's soccer on Twitter (@CPWomensSoccer) for live updates throughout the match.

CAL POLY VERSUS MINNESOTA: Thursday will be the first ever matchup between Cal Poly and Minnesota.

SCOUTING MINNESOTA: Three Gophers were named to the preseason Big Ten Players to Watch List — junior midfielder Sophia Boman, senior goalkeeper Megan Plaschko and senior forward Izzy Brown. Senior forward McKenna Buisman and sophomore forward Khyah Harper are responsible for the team's two goals this season, and Plashko has amassed six saves and a .667 save percentage over two matches. In Erin Chastain's first season as head coach in 2021, Minnesota finished 8-6-3 and ninth in its conference, one spot short of qualifying for the eight-team Big Ten Tournament. The Gophers were picked to finish ninth out of 14 teams in the 2022 Big Ten Coaches' Poll.

FUN FACT: Minnesota is one of eight schools in Division I women's soccer with two sets of sisters on its roster.

HISTORY AGAINST THE BIG TEN: The Mustangs are seeking their first win over a Big Ten team since defeating Indiana 3-1 on Sept. 7, 2008, in the Hoosier Classic. Prior to Sunday's match versus Iowa, Cal Poly had never hosted a Big Ten team at Alex G. Spanos Stadium. The Mustangs are 3-3-0 all-time against Big Ten opponents.

FIRST STARTS: Three Mustangs made their first collegiate start in Sunday's match against Iowa — sophomore goalkeeper Mary Norman, freshman midfielder Brennan Cole and freshman defender Camryn Penn.

FACING HER FORMER TEAM: Sophomore defender Aynsley Conner started her collegiate career at Minnesota last year, appearing in two games for the Gophers and scoring her first collegiate goal in a 5-0 victory over Illinois on Oct. 14, 2021. Conner earned her first start as a Mustang in Sunday's loss to Iowa and played 75 minutes. Her mother, Cathie Cardoza Conner, was a member of the Cal Poly women's soccer team during the program's inaugural season in 1992.

IN A CLASS OF HER OWN: Senior midfielder Camille Lafaix is the first Mustang in program history to be named to the Preseason MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List and the second ever to appear on the list, joining Elise Krieghoff, who was added to the candidate pool for the award midway through her junior season in 2014. Lafaix is also responsible for Cal Poly's only goal this season, scoring in the 83rd minute in a 3-1 season-opening loss at Saint Mary's.

UP NEXT: The Mustangs return to California on Sunday for a 1 p.m. match at Sacramento State. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.