5-5-4, 2-2-2
CSUN
5-5-5, 3-1-2
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| CSUN | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Cal Poly Secures 1-1 Draw at CSUN
10/14/2026 10:16:00 PM | Women's Soccer
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — Junior Ruby Casey headed home her second goal of the season and the Mustangs generated multiple dangerous scoring chances down the stretch, but the Cal Poly women’s soccer team was only able to secure a 1-1 draw in a battle at CSUN on Wednesday night.
With the result, Cal Poly (5-5-4, 2-2-2 Big West) moved into sole possession of sixth place in the conference standings through six of 11 Big West matches at 8 points. They are 3 points behind a four-way tie for second and 6 points back of first-place Utah Valley (8-4-3, 4-0-2 BW).
“This was a really important performance from the team in terms of full execution from everybody,” head coach Bernardo Silva said after the match, “… the belief was there and sometimes there’s a force field around the goal or that second goal doesn’t come in, but I applaud the girls’ effort, the execution. If we perform like that every single game, we’re going to win more games than not.”
In a matchup of the reigning Big West tournament champions — the Mustangs — and the defending Big West regular season champions — the Matadors — CSUN struck first, earning a penalty kick goal in the sixth minute following a handball in the box by Cal Poly.
The Mustangs were unfazed by the early deficit though as about two minutes later, junior Isis Salazar-Ortega stabbed a shot just wide of the right post off a nicely played cross into the box from senior Annika Smith.
In the 26th minute, Cal Poly found an equalizer as junior Miah Thomas sent a booming corner kick into the box that Casey rose up and buried into to the right side of the net. It was Casey’s second goal of the season and Thomas’ first assist of the year.
The score remained 1-1 at the break and in the final 45 minutes, the Mustangs turned up the intensity in hopes of finding a game winner. Smith registered a shot on goal in the 70th minute and freshman Kate Nunes blasted a blistering shot on frame in the 76th that was turned away by the CSUN goalkeeper.
In the 80th minute, Casey nearly earned a brace, firing a header off a corner kick from Thomas just wide of the bottom left post.
In the dying seconds of the match, Cal Poly earned a late opportunity as the ball found its way to Thomas just inside the box who sent a scorching shot on the goal that the CSUN keeper was just barely able to save with two seconds remaining.
The Mustangs earned 10 corners in the match and finished with seven shots on goal compared to CSUN’s two.
Junior goalkeeper Shannon Porubski made one save in her 31st consecutive start in net and the Cal Poly defense held a CSUN team that had scored 14 goals across its previous four matches to just one on Wednesday night.
“I thought overall we were the better team on the day,” Silva said, “so for us I think we could look back on this game and think ‘OK, this road point gets us in the tournament.’”
Cal Poly travels to Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday for a 7 p.m. match. You can watch the action live on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Yasmin Azar (4)
CSUN Yasmin Azar PENALTY KICK GOAL.
05:28
Ruby Casey (2)
Assisted By: Miah Thomas
Off corner, #28 to near post, #17 header.
25:44
