Thursday, November 2
Fullerton, CA / Titan Stadium
4:30 P.M.
vs
No. 2 UC Davis
Photo by: Jawei Kuo | Cal Poly Athletics
Mustangs Head to Fullerton Looking for Spot in Big West Championship
11/1/2023 4:30:00 PM | Women's Soccer
WATCH
LIVE STATS
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Making their third straight appearance in the semifinals, Mustang women's soccer will be looking to secure a spot in the Big West Championship match when they battle second-seeded UC Davis at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Cal State Fullerton's Titan Stadium.
Third-seeded Cal Poly (9-7-3) advanced to the semifinals with a victory Sunday at Mustang Memorial Field Presented by French Hospital, taking down sixth-seeded Hawai'i 2-1 in the first round of the Big West Championship.
FOLLOW CAL POLY: Thursday's semifinal match will be broadcast live on ESPN+. You can find links for live stats and the broadcast 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 the match.
WHAT'S AT STAKE: A berth in the Big West Championship match will be up for grabs when the Mustangs and Aggies meet on the pitch Thursday. The winner will advance to face the victor of the other semifinal between top-seeded Cal State Fullerton (8-4-7) and fifth-seeded UC Irvine (6-7-6) in the conference championship match at 1 p.m. Sunday at Titan Stadium. The Titans captured the Big West regular season title, earning them the right to host the semifinals and championship match in the tournament.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC DAVIS: The Mustangs lead the all-time series 11-8-2, but fell to the Aggies 1-0 during this year's regular season meeting in Davis on Oct. 19. UC Davis scored just 27 seconds into the match and held on for the win.
SCOUTING UC DAVIS: As a result of securing a first-round bye from the first round of the Big West Championship, the Aggies (10-6-2) enter Thursday's semifinal fresh off a week of rest. UC Davis closed the regular season on a three-match winning streak, defeating the Mustangs, UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine all by a 1-0 scoreline. Five Aggie players received All-Big West honors from the conference's coaches this past weekend, led by senior Leslie Fregoso being named Big West Midfielder of the Year. Fregoso leads UC Davis in nearly every offensive category — points (17), goals (six), assists (five), shots (55) and shots on goal (27). The Aggies have posted eight shutouts this season thanks in large part to the play of redshirt junior goalkeeper Caeley Goldstein, who has recorded 71 saves, seven clean sheets, a 0.95 goals against average and a .807 save percentage.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC DAVIS IN THE POSTSEASON: These two teams have never faced each other in the Big West postseason.
CAL POLY IN THE POSTSEASON: The Mustangs will be seeking their ninth appearance in the Big West Championship match and their second in the last three seasons. Cal Poly has emerged victorious in eight of its 13 Big West semifinal matches all-time, losing just two (2012, 2022) and never advancing to the championship game on penalties, drawing in 2008, 2013 and 2014. The Mustangs have qualified for 14 of the 22 Big West tournaments, capturing all the glory in 1996, 2003 and 2004.
NO MORE GOLDEN: Golden goal is no longer a thing in collegiate soccer. That means if Thursday's semifinal match is tied after 90 minutes of regulation, two 10-minute overtime periods will be played out and if the game is still tied then a penalty-kick shootout will determine a winner.
LET'S MAKE A RUN: Cal Poly kicked off its postseason journey with a 2-1 victory over the Rainbow Wahine on Sunday in the first round of the conference tourney. The Mustangs came charging out of the gates as sophomore Emily Lieber scored just 39 seconds into the match — the fourth earliest goal to open a match in program history. Junior Peja Balanon found the back of the net for the second time this season in the 39th minute and Cal Poly made some standout defensive plays down the stretch to secure its first Big West Championship first round win.
SCORING BY COMMITTEE: Thanks to Lieber's goal Sunday, 15 different players have found the back of the net this season, tied for the most goal scorers in a season in program history. The 1996 team, who won Cal Poly's first Big West tournament championship, also had 15 goal scorers.
RECORD-BREAKING SHARING: 20 different players have recorded a point this season — a program record.
ALL THE PRAISE: Seven Mustangs received All-Big West honors from the conference's coaches on Saturday (the program's most since 2014), highlighted by junior Emma Brown being crowned Big West Defensive Player of the Year. Brown is the fifth Mustang in program history to be named Big West Defensive Player of the Year and the first since Julianne Grinstead in 2009. Senior forward Kate Reedy, junior goalkeeper Mackenzie Samuel and freshman forward Annika Smith were all selected to the All-Big West Second Team, while sophomore defender Camryn Penn earned All-Big West Honorable Mention recognition. Smith also grabbed a spot on the Big West All-Freshman Team, along with redshirt freshman midfielder Sophia Minnite and freshman midfielder Sophia Moness. Smith is the first Mustang since Megan Abutin in 2013 to be selected to an All-Big West Team and the conference's All-Freshman Team in the same season.
FIRSTS FOR ALL: 10 Mustangs have made their first collegiate appearance this fall and 10 have recorded their first career point — senior Georgia Weeks, junior Emily Nedom, redshirt sophomore Dani Wozniak, sophomores Brennan Cole and Jessie Halladay, redshirt freshman Sophia Minnite, and freshmen Bailey Bracha, Jaycee DeFazio, Sophia Moness and Annika Smith. Halladay, who transferred to Cal Poly from Loyola Marymount this spring, is second on the team in points with 12 (four goals, four assists) and Smith is third with 11 (four goals, three assists). Earlier this season, Smith netted the eighth hat trick in program history.
LEADING THROUGH THE BACK: Brown, Penn and junior center back Aynsley Conner lead a Cal Poly backline that has helped the Mustangs record four shutouts this season and 14 over the past two seasons. Brown started in her 42nd consecutive match Sunday, and the two-time All-Big West First Team selection has appeared in 58 matches during her Cal Poly career, starting in 55 and playing every minute in 48 of them without receiving a card. Conner has appeared in 36 matches during her time as a Mustang, making 34 starts and playing every minute in 23. Penn has started in 35 of the 37 matches she has appeared in.
THE KEEPER: Samuel has been solid between the pipes all season long, recording three shutouts, a 1.18 goals against average and a .728 save percentage. She made her 28th consecutive start in net during Sunday's match against Hawai'i.
UP NEXT: The Big West Championship match will be played at 1 p.m. Sunday at Cal State Fullerton's Titan Stadium.
LIVE STATS
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Making their third straight appearance in the semifinals, Mustang women's soccer will be looking to secure a spot in the Big West Championship match when they battle second-seeded UC Davis at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Cal State Fullerton's Titan Stadium.
Third-seeded Cal Poly (9-7-3) advanced to the semifinals with a victory Sunday at Mustang Memorial Field Presented by French Hospital, taking down sixth-seeded Hawai'i 2-1 in the first round of the Big West Championship.
FOLLOW CAL POLY: Thursday's semifinal match will be broadcast live on ESPN+. You can find links for live stats and the broadcast 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 the match.
WHAT'S AT STAKE: A berth in the Big West Championship match will be up for grabs when the Mustangs and Aggies meet on the pitch Thursday. The winner will advance to face the victor of the other semifinal between top-seeded Cal State Fullerton (8-4-7) and fifth-seeded UC Irvine (6-7-6) in the conference championship match at 1 p.m. Sunday at Titan Stadium. The Titans captured the Big West regular season title, earning them the right to host the semifinals and championship match in the tournament.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC DAVIS: The Mustangs lead the all-time series 11-8-2, but fell to the Aggies 1-0 during this year's regular season meeting in Davis on Oct. 19. UC Davis scored just 27 seconds into the match and held on for the win.
SCOUTING UC DAVIS: As a result of securing a first-round bye from the first round of the Big West Championship, the Aggies (10-6-2) enter Thursday's semifinal fresh off a week of rest. UC Davis closed the regular season on a three-match winning streak, defeating the Mustangs, UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine all by a 1-0 scoreline. Five Aggie players received All-Big West honors from the conference's coaches this past weekend, led by senior Leslie Fregoso being named Big West Midfielder of the Year. Fregoso leads UC Davis in nearly every offensive category — points (17), goals (six), assists (five), shots (55) and shots on goal (27). The Aggies have posted eight shutouts this season thanks in large part to the play of redshirt junior goalkeeper Caeley Goldstein, who has recorded 71 saves, seven clean sheets, a 0.95 goals against average and a .807 save percentage.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC DAVIS IN THE POSTSEASON: These two teams have never faced each other in the Big West postseason.
CAL POLY IN THE POSTSEASON: The Mustangs will be seeking their ninth appearance in the Big West Championship match and their second in the last three seasons. Cal Poly has emerged victorious in eight of its 13 Big West semifinal matches all-time, losing just two (2012, 2022) and never advancing to the championship game on penalties, drawing in 2008, 2013 and 2014. The Mustangs have qualified for 14 of the 22 Big West tournaments, capturing all the glory in 1996, 2003 and 2004.
NO MORE GOLDEN: Golden goal is no longer a thing in collegiate soccer. That means if Thursday's semifinal match is tied after 90 minutes of regulation, two 10-minute overtime periods will be played out and if the game is still tied then a penalty-kick shootout will determine a winner.
LET'S MAKE A RUN: Cal Poly kicked off its postseason journey with a 2-1 victory over the Rainbow Wahine on Sunday in the first round of the conference tourney. The Mustangs came charging out of the gates as sophomore Emily Lieber scored just 39 seconds into the match — the fourth earliest goal to open a match in program history. Junior Peja Balanon found the back of the net for the second time this season in the 39th minute and Cal Poly made some standout defensive plays down the stretch to secure its first Big West Championship first round win.
SCORING BY COMMITTEE: Thanks to Lieber's goal Sunday, 15 different players have found the back of the net this season, tied for the most goal scorers in a season in program history. The 1996 team, who won Cal Poly's first Big West tournament championship, also had 15 goal scorers.
RECORD-BREAKING SHARING: 20 different players have recorded a point this season — a program record.
ALL THE PRAISE: Seven Mustangs received All-Big West honors from the conference's coaches on Saturday (the program's most since 2014), highlighted by junior Emma Brown being crowned Big West Defensive Player of the Year. Brown is the fifth Mustang in program history to be named Big West Defensive Player of the Year and the first since Julianne Grinstead in 2009. Senior forward Kate Reedy, junior goalkeeper Mackenzie Samuel and freshman forward Annika Smith were all selected to the All-Big West Second Team, while sophomore defender Camryn Penn earned All-Big West Honorable Mention recognition. Smith also grabbed a spot on the Big West All-Freshman Team, along with redshirt freshman midfielder Sophia Minnite and freshman midfielder Sophia Moness. Smith is the first Mustang since Megan Abutin in 2013 to be selected to an All-Big West Team and the conference's All-Freshman Team in the same season.
FIRSTS FOR ALL: 10 Mustangs have made their first collegiate appearance this fall and 10 have recorded their first career point — senior Georgia Weeks, junior Emily Nedom, redshirt sophomore Dani Wozniak, sophomores Brennan Cole and Jessie Halladay, redshirt freshman Sophia Minnite, and freshmen Bailey Bracha, Jaycee DeFazio, Sophia Moness and Annika Smith. Halladay, who transferred to Cal Poly from Loyola Marymount this spring, is second on the team in points with 12 (four goals, four assists) and Smith is third with 11 (four goals, three assists). Earlier this season, Smith netted the eighth hat trick in program history.
LEADING THROUGH THE BACK: Brown, Penn and junior center back Aynsley Conner lead a Cal Poly backline that has helped the Mustangs record four shutouts this season and 14 over the past two seasons. Brown started in her 42nd consecutive match Sunday, and the two-time All-Big West First Team selection has appeared in 58 matches during her Cal Poly career, starting in 55 and playing every minute in 48 of them without receiving a card. Conner has appeared in 36 matches during her time as a Mustang, making 34 starts and playing every minute in 23. Penn has started in 35 of the 37 matches she has appeared in.
THE KEEPER: Samuel has been solid between the pipes all season long, recording three shutouts, a 1.18 goals against average and a .728 save percentage. She made her 28th consecutive start in net during Sunday's match against Hawai'i.
UP NEXT: The Big West Championship match will be played at 1 p.m. Sunday at Cal State Fullerton's Titan Stadium.
Players Mentioned
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