Cal Poly-Montana soccer game reunites group of star players who won a title at SLO High
Cal Poly women’s soccer game Thursday was special for a variety of reasons — the Mustangs won their first game in nearly two years and the contest featured a talented group of former San Luis Obispo High School players and a former Tigers’ assistant coach.
The Mustangs, whose team includes four players with SLO High ties — Olivia Ortiz, Angie Crozier, Grace Park and Sidra Bugsch — faced off against the University of Montana.
The Grizzlies team includes SLO High’s 2019 most valuable player, Molly Massman, a key midfielder for a Montana team that earned a berth in the NCAA tournament last spring.
The former teammates all reunited at Alex G. Spanos Stadium, in front of a SLO crowd that included several family and friends.
With Massman on the opposite end, both teams looked for their first win in the third game of the season.
The Mustangs won 2-1, earning their first victory since November 2019 after Cal Poly’s fall 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19.
“It’s really cool for us to come together and play for a higher level of soccer and play against Molly and rekindle that, just like we did in high school,” Ortiz said. “They’re obviously a super good team, and Molly is super good. It’s always super fun to play them.”
Their former SLO High coach, Brittney Viboch, called their college roles a testament to their work ethic and drive and a continuation of their success in high school.
The group’s accomplishments at SLO High included a 2019 CIF-Central Section Division 1 title, a 2-1 win over Clovis North that saw second-half goals from Ortiz and Massman. The Tigers had a record of 22-2-1 that year.
“These girls were the hardest working players I’ve ever coached,” Viboch said. “They had so much grit. They are workhorses. They are all naturally gifted, but I also think that on top of that, they knew how to work hard, which overall just excelled who they were as athletes.”
Mustangs earn first win in two years
On Thursday, the Mustangs surrendered the first goal of the game and trailed 1-0 at half.
But Cal Poly stormed back with a goal in the 63rd minute by Quoya Mann, assisted by Kylie Rojas, and then another score in the 65th minute that pinballed in the box, bouncing off a Montana player and into the net for a Mustangs team goal on the stat sheet.
Massman, a 5-foot, 10-inch midfielder, was in the heart of the action for much of the game, seizing control of 50-50 balls and setting up Griz forwards for shots on goal.
“We’re all competitively driven,” Massman said. “We weren’t going to take it easy on each other. I was so excited to play in this game. This is my first time playing in this stadium.”
Each of the four former SLO High players and Brugsch, who has served as a Tigers’ assistant coach, saw action in the game.
Ortiz fired off three shots at the net, including a first-half attempt that sailed high over the goalkeeper.
“The game was high energy,” Park said. “I think that’s something that Cal Poly really brings on the field, whether you’re on the bench or you’re on the field or the coaches. ... It’s obviously a little more competitive because we know someone on the other team, so it’s just that extra bite there, but all good energy, all fun.”
SLO County women’s soccer talent shines
Final score aside, the contest was a celebration of local women’s soccer talent, with the unusual collection of SLO County players, also including Morro Bay High grad Emma Hotaling, a Cal Poly senior defender.
“We’re all driven and it’s really cool to see familiar faces on the field, even though we’re playing against each other,” Massman said. “I honestly love it a lot, so I’m grateful for it.”
Crozier, a freshman whose father Alex Crozier is the longtime Mustangs head coach, said that a lot of their collective friends and family from SLO came out to watch.
Angie personally knew of 14 fans who came out for the game that showcased the local stars.
Crozier took the field at Spanos Stadium for the first time in her college career in the second half, calling it “awesome.”
Crozier, who grew up watching the Mustangs, said she hopes the success of SLO High players will be an inspiration to the next generation of girls.
“We got fans from our high school and little young kids that we coached, so it’s really cute, and an amazing situation that we have,” Crozier said.
Adjusting to college competition
The former SLO High stars said that adjusting to the college games has meant getting used to a quicker style of play that also can be more physical at times.
“The team environment is a little different,” Massman said. “The game is a little faster and it can get more physical. That being said, we were so well prepared. It’s not a super drastic change, I don’t think.”
Park echoed Massman’s thoughts, saying the biggest difference is the “speed of play” and quality of competition.
“Every single person’s good out here,” Park said. “SLO is pretty small and you’re good or whatever with that group, but once you get to college, it’s like nothing special. Everyone’s good. So, yeah, that’s probably the biggest difference.”
Tight bonds
Ortiz, who grew up playing on many of the same teams as Massman in SLO, said she believes the group rose to a level of success because of a tight bond that glued them together and helped form their passion for the game.
“We’re all like a family,” she said. “We always played for each other instead of playing for a person or just for ourselves, and when everyone’s so close and loves each other like that, it really comes out.”
Viboch, also a former Cal Poly player who helped coach at SLO High as a Mustang, said the connection of the local university to SLO High has long been an inspiration to Tigers’ players.
And Brugsch served in that role as an assistant coach to players who’d become her Cal Poly teammates only a couple of years later.
“I think the one thing that all the high school girls have always loved is that they get to meet and work with Cal Poly players, someone that’s close in their age,” Viboch said. “They respond well to that.”
Brugsch said both the SLO community and her hometown of Davis have a strong soccer environment.
“It fosters a big love for the game, and SLO has a big soccer community that creates a grassroots (environment) to bring players up and grow players through the program,” Brugsch said.
This story was originally published August 27, 2021 at 6:40 PM with the headline "Cal Poly-Montana soccer game reunites group of star players who won a title at SLO High."
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