Gonzaga
Mustangs Head to Gonzaga for First Time Since 2018
9/7/2022 9:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly women's soccer heads to the state of Washington this week for a pair of matches to finish off its five-game road trip.
First up for the Mustangs (2-3) is a battle with Gonzaga (1-2-2) in Spokane at 7 p.m. Thursday. Cal Poly is coming off a 4-1 defeat at No. 12 Stanford, who is now ranked sixth in the United Soccer Coaches poll, on Sunday.
The Bulldogs are in the midst of a five-game homestand and most recently fell to Texas, now ranked No. 23 in the nation, 3-2. Gonzaga notched its first victory of the season last Thursday, earning a 3-0 home win over Big West foe CSU Bakersfield.
Prior to a 2-2 draw with Oregon in their home opener on Aug. 27, the Bulldogs kicked off their 2022 campaign at the Rumble in the Rockies hosted by Montana, losing 1-0 to Pittsburgh and earning a 1-1 draw against Creighton.
FOLLOW CAL POLY: A live stream of Thursday's match is available on wccsports.com 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 GONZAGA: The Mustangs are 1-2-0 all-time against the Bulldogs. Last year, Gonzaga defeated Cal Poly 2-1 at Alex G. Spanos Stadium. The Mustangs are seeking their first victory over the Bulldogs since the first meeting between the two programs on Oct. 6, 1995, when Cal Poly won 2-0 on the road. Cal Poly finished that season ranked No. 21 in the Intercollegiate Soccer Coaches Association of America Top 25 poll.
SCOUTING GONZAGA: The Bulldogs, picked fourth in the West Coast Conference preseason coaches poll, are led by a pair of players who have tallied five points this season — senior forward Erin Healy and redshirt junior forward Maddie Kemp. Healy, who has two goals and an assist, earned a spot on the preseason All-WCC team and in 2021 was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region second team and All-WCC first team. She scored eight goals a year ago and was 10th in the WCC in points with 17. Sophomore forward Marissa Garcia has also netted two goals for Gonzaga this season. The Bulldogs are currently ranked 24th in the country in shots per game, averaging 18.8 per match. Last year was a historic one for the Bulldogs, who set single-season program records in wins (15), shutouts (12), goals (47), assists (39), points (131), shots (387) and shots on goal (196). Gonzaga also finished fifth in the nation in shots on goal per game (9.80) and ninth in shots per match (19.35).
MAC ENTERS THE RECORD BOOKS: Cal Poly sophomore goalkeeper Mackenzie Samuel had a stellar showing Sunday against the Cardinal, recording 13 saves — tied for the third most in a match in program history, joining Greta Shirdon (2002), Alyssa Giannetti (2015) and Sophia Brown (2018). Samuel faced 38 shots against Stanford and enters Thursday's match with a 2.33 goals against average and a .788 save percentage. She has 26 saves this season and leads the Big West in saves per game (8.67).
A DAY TO REMEMBER: In her 22nd appearance for the Mustangs, senior forward Madison Demijohn netted her first career goal in the 87th minute of Sunday's loss at Stanford. It was the eighth start of Demijohn's career and third this season. She started the first two matches in 2021 before suffering a season-ending injury.
FRESHMAN SENSATION: Freshman Emily Lieber sits atop the Big West in assists with three, along with two other players.
PIPEWORK: Cal Poly ranks 35th in the nation in saves per match (6.00).
UP NEXT: The Mustangs conclude their five-game road trip with a visit to Washington State at noon Sunday.
