1-3-2, 0-0-0
Santa Clara
6-0-2, 0-0-0
Team Stats
Sophia Moness (1)
Assisted By: Camryn Penn , Peja Balanon
GOAL by CP Moness, Sophia Assist by Penn, Camryn and Balanon, Peja.
20:41
Leah O'Brien (1)
Assisted By: Sally Menti
GOAL by SC O'Brien, Leah Assist by Menti, Sally.
70:27
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Cal Poly Secures 1-1 Draw Against No. 8 Santa Clara
9/10/2023 5:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — In its final tuneup before opening Big West play, the Cal Poly women's soccer team gave No. 8 Santa Clara everything they could handle on Sunday afternoon at Mustang Memorial Field Presented by French Hospital, nearly taking down the 2020 National Champions.
The Mustangs (1-3-2) clung to a 1-0 lead for nearly 50 minutes of game time before the Broncos (6-0-2) scored in the 71st minute to escape San Luis Obispo with a 1-1 draw.
Freshman Sophia Moness scored the lone goal for Cal Poly, burying the first one of her collegiate career in the 21st minute. Nineteen players hit the pitch for the Mustangs during the match and Moness said it took a complete team effort to earn a result against Santa Clara.
"I think it was great," Moness said after the match about the Mustangs' effort. "I think the past two games we were working hard, but we didn't get the results we wanted. This game we came out and were amazing as a team and got that draw."
On Moness' goal, sophomore defender Camryn Penn and junior midfielder Peja Balanon earned assists and the El Dorado Hills native did the rest, firing a rocket from over 25 yards out to the top left corner of the net.
"It felt great," Moness said about her first career goal. "I got a pass from Camryn from the left side and I just took a touch and saw space and shot it. It was amazing celebrating with the team."
As they typically do, the Mustangs controlled the run of play throughout the match and were the aggressor early with sophomore Emily Lieber nearly striking in the eighth minute on a dangerous shot on goal.
Just before halftime, sophomore Jessie Halladay, who didn't play in the last two matches for the Mustangs, blasted a shot on goal from distance and Cal Poly carried a 1-0 advantage into the break.
The intensity and physicality ratcheted up in the second half as the Broncos looked for an equalizer.
In the 65th minute, a Santa Clara player received a red card after denying Balanon a goal scoring opportunity just outside the box, forcing the Broncos to play with just 10 players the rest of the match.
But just four minutes later, Cal Poly lost a player on the pitch after senior Olivia Ortiz was sent off after receiving her second yellow card of the match. It was 10 vs. 10 the rest of the match and in the 71st minute Santa Clara leveled it at 1-1, scoring on a header off a corner kick.
The Mustangs weren't satisfied with a draw though as they continued to push forward after Santa Clara's equalizer. Lieber and Halladay both earned dangerous opportunities in the closing moments, but were unable to capitalize.
The Mustangs outshot the Broncos 11-7 in the match and junior goalkeeper Mackenzie Samuel made a pair of saves in net for Cal Poly. Freshman defender and Paso Robles native Tacey Bivin made her first collegiate appearance in the match, playing six minutes. For Penn and Balanon, it was the third assist of each of their careers.
The result was Cal Poly's first draw over a top-10 nationally ranked team since securing a 1-1 draw at home against No. 6 BYU on Sept. 24, 2015.
Cal Poly heads to UC Santa Barbara at 7 p.m. Thursday to open Big West play before returning home next Sunday to host Pacific in its final home nonconference match.
Freshman Sophia Moness talks about scoring her first career goal in the 21st minute of today's match and helping the Mustangs earn a 1-1 draw against No. 8 Santa Clara! #RideHigh???? pic.twitter.com/L2ly0hwVz6
— Cal Poly Women's Soccer (@CPWomensSoccer) September 10, 2023
