1-0-0, 0-0-0
UNLV
0-1-0, 0-0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNLV | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cal Poly | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Thomas' Late Goal Powers Mustangs to Season-Opening Win Over UNLV
8/12/2026 10:27:00 PM | Women's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — In her first game as a Mustang, junior Miah Thomas stepped up and buried a penalty kick in the 85th-minute to propel Cal Poly women’s soccer to a 1-0 season-opening victory over UNLV on Wednesday at Mustang Memorial Field at Spanos Stadium.
The victory snapped a 13-year winless streak for the Mustangs in season openers.
“A huge win to start off the season,” head coach Bernardo Silva said after the match. “Our style of play at Cal Poly 2.0 is to find a way to win the game regardless of what that game brings … we pushed to go get a win and we got rewarded with a penalty kick, so I’m really proud of the team.”
After a scoreless first half that saw Cal Poly outshot the Rebels 5-3, things heated up in the second half, particularly in the final 10 minutes of the match.
In the 84th minute, a player from each side was sent off the field after UNLV’s Felicity Garcia received her second yellow card and Cal Poly’s Farra Franklin was given a red card, leaving each team with 10 players.
About 40 seconds after the two send-offs, the Mustangs earned a free kick from 30 yards outside the box. Senior defender Siena Urzua sent the ball in and senior forward Annika Smith was fouled inside the penalty area while attempting a header, resulting in a penalty kick for the Mustangs.
Thomas, a transfer from Cal State Bakersfield, stepped to the spot and left no doubt, firing a shot to the bottom left corner while sending the UNLV goalkeeper the opposite direction. It was the fourth goal of Thomas’ collegiate career and her first in a Cal Poly uniform, and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.
“Miah Thomas is a dog,” Silva said. “I recruited her to come to Bakersfield with me and I dreamed about the possibility of coaching her again and our journeys crossed again here at Cal Poly … we’re really excited to have her here with us, she’s going to play a big role in everything we’re building this year.”
Clinging to a 1-0 lead with less than six minutes remaining, Cal Poly buckled down defensively to stave off the Rebels and secure the season-opening win.
“We all left everything we could on the field,” Thomas said after the match.
The Mustangs finished with an 11-6 shot advantage and junior goalkeeper Shannon Porubski grabbed two saves to secure her 10th career shutout.
Sophomore Kenzie Herzing, and freshmen Kate Nunes and Madison Lujan made their first collegiate starts, while a trio of transfers earned their first starts as Mustangs — juniors Mya Clarke and Koko Harris, and Thomas.
Cal Poly hosts No. 1-ranked Stanford at 1 p.m. Sunday to finish off its season-opening week of action. The contest will be a rematch of last year’s NCAA First Round match in Palo Alto that saw the Cardinal defeat the Mustangs 3-1. Sunday is also Club Soccer Day and all kids 12 and under receive free admission. You can purchase tickets to the match HERE.
Team Stats
Miah Thomas
CP Miah Thomas PENALTY KICK GOAL.
84:24
