Mustangs Host Pivotal Big West Matches Against Roadrunners, CSUN

Thursday, October 12

San Luis Obispo, CA

7 P.M.

CSU Bakersfield

Photo by: Joe Kelly

Mustangs Host Pivotal Big West Matches Against Roadrunners, CSUN

10/11/2023 7:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer

TICKETS
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CSU BAKERSFIELD DIGITAL PROGRAM
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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — After going unbeaten (1-0-1) across a pair of pivotal road matches, the Cal Poly women's soccer team will look to keep the momentum rolling and continue its hunt for the top spot in the Big West standings when they host Cal State Bakersfield and CSUN this week.

The Mustangs (5-5-3, 3-1-1 Big West) open their two-match homestand at Mustang Memorial Field Presented by French Hospital against the Roadrunners at 7 p.m. Thursday. During Thursday's Cancer Awareness Night match, the team will honor and recognize those who have fought and continue to fight all forms of cancer. On Sunday, Cal Poly kicks off a doubleheader for the women's and men's soccer programs at 2 p.m. when they take on CSUN. One ticket gets you into both matches and the first arriving students will receive a free scarf. The Mustangs are seeking to shatter their home attendance record during the match. At 5 p.m., the greatest collegiate soccer rivalry in the nation will be renewed when Cal Poly men's soccer battles UC Santa Barbara.

FOLLOW CAL POLY THIS WEEK: Both matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Daniel Gillman on the call Thursday and Max Milander doing play-by-play Sunday. You can find links for live stats and both broadcasts above, and on the women's soccer schedule page on GoPoly.com. Follow Cal Poly women's soccer on X (@CPWomensSoccer) for live updates throughout both home matches.

BIG WEST TABLE: Through five conference matches, the Mustangs sit in a tie for second place in the Big West standings with 10 points. Cal Poly has played two fewer Big West matches than Hawai'i (3-3-1 BW) — who they are currently tied with in the standings — and the current conference leader Cal State Fullerton (3-1-3 BW), who the Mustangs fell to on Sept. 28. This season, Cal Poly is seeking at least a share of the Big West regular season title for the third consecutive year, which would be a program first.

CAL POLY VERSUS THE ROADRUNNERS: The Mustangs are 10-2-0 all-time against CSU Bakersfield and have never lost at home to the Roadrunners. Last year, Cal Poly suffered its only Big West defeat of the season at Bakersfield, falling 3-1.

SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS: CSU Bakersfield (2-7-4 overall, 1-2-3 BW) is currently slotted in eighth in the Big West standings with 6 points, earning its only conference win at home against Long Beach State on Oct. 1, and securing draws against UC San Diego, UC Davis and UC Riverside most recently this past Sunday. Thursday's match will serve as a homecoming of sorts for CSUB head coach Bernardo Silva, who started his coaching career at Cal Poly in 2012 as an assistant on the men's team. He also spent four seasons on the Cal Poly women's soccer coaching staff. Sophomore forward Jette Zimmer leads the Roadrunners in points this fall, tallying two goals and two assists across nine appearances and just 396 minutes. She is also tied for third in the Big West in points per match. In net, senior Hollee Hercik has started in 12 of CSUB's 13 matches and boasts a 1.77 goals against average, .720 save percentage, two clean sheets and 54 saves.

CAL POLY VERSUS THE MATADORS: The Mustangs have emerged victorious in their last two meetings with CSUN, recording 3-0 wins in both 2022 and 2021. Cal Poly leads the all-time series 10-9-3.

SCOUTING THE MATADORS: CSUN (1-10-3 overall, 1-2-2 BW) is fresh off a 3-1 defeat at Long Beach State this past Sunday. The Matadors, who are tied with UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine for last place in the conference, travel to the Gauchos on Thursday before heading to San Luis Obispo on Sunday to face the Mustangs. CSUN earned its lone victory of the season at home against CSU Bakersfield on Sept. 28, dominating the Roadrunners 4-0. The Matadors also secured a scoreless draw against UC Davis on Sept. 21 and a 1-1 draw at Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 24. CSUN has only scored 10 goals this season — the fewest in the Big West — but redshirt junior midfielder Izabel Reyes has buried three of them, and leads the team in points with eight. Sophomore goalkeeper Hayden Mauldin, a 2022 Big West All-Freshman Team selection, has started in all 14 matches and ranks second in the conference in saves per match (5.50). She has recorded three shutouts this season, while making 77 saves.

HITTING THEIR STRIDE: Unbeaten in its last three matches (2-0-1), Cal Poly is rounding into form right in the heart of conference play. The Mustangs made a big push to defend their Big West regular season title on the road this past week, downing 2022 Big West tournament champion UC Irvine 2-1 and securing a scoreless draw at Long Beach State, who defeated Cal Poly in the Big West semifinals last season, to earn 4 crucial points in the conference table.

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK: Sunday's 2-1 win at UC Irvine marked the Mustangs' first come from behind victory since defeating the Rainbow Wahine 2-1 in Hawai'i on Sept. 30, 2021.

MAC GARNERS NATIONAL ATTENTION: On Tuesday, junior goalkeeper Mackenzie Samuel was named to the Oct. 2-8 Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week as an honorable mention after shining in net this past week. Across matches against LBSU and the Anteaters, she recorded 11 saves and allowed just one goal while facing 28 shots. In the scoreless draw at the Beach, Samuel secured her 15th career clean sheet — tied for the sixth most in program history. The San Diego, Calif. native was crowned Big West Goalkeeper of the Year last season.

FULL TEAM EFFORT: 15 Mustangs have recorded a point so far this season and 10 different players have scored a goal, including six for the first time in their collegiate careers — senior Georgia Weeks, junior Emily Nedom, sophomores Jessie Halladay and Caylie Button, and freshmen Sophia Moness and Annika Smith. Halladay, a transfer from Loyola Marymount who assisted on Kate Reedy's game-winning goal in Sunday's win at Irvine, is tied with Smith, who netted the eighth hat trick in program history on Oct. 1, for the team lead in points this season (10). Reedy is tied for the conference lead in game-winning goals with two.

MS. RELIABLE: Junior center back Emma Brown made her 36th consecutive start in Sunday's match at UC Irvine. The All-Big West Preseason Team selection has appeared in 52 matches during her Cal Poly career, starting in 49 of them and playing every minute in 43 of them without receiving a card. Last season, Brown was named to the All-Big West First Team and received United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Third Team praise.

FIRST APPEARANCES: Nine Mustangs have made their first collegiate appearance this fall — redshirt freshman Sophia Minnite, and freshmen Bailey Bracha, Jaycee DeFazio, Sophia Moness, Kasia Wolf, Siena Urzua, Anna Babinski, Tacey Bivin and Annika Smith.

MUSTANG PRIDE: Cal Poly leads the Big West in average home attendance this season and is 27th in Division I.

UP NEXT: The Mustangs travel to UC Davis on Thursday, Oct. 19, and Hawai'i on Sunday, Oct. 22, for their final two Big West regular season road matches.