Big West Conference leader Cal Poly falls to UC Davis women’s soccer team on the road
The Cal Poly women’s soccer team fell to UC Davis 2-0 on the road on Sunday afternoon, marking the team’s first Big West Conference loss of the season. The two teams are now tied for the conference’s top spot.
After winning three straight games, the Mustangs (7-6, 3-1 Big West) were shut out for the first time since battling Stanford on Aug. 19.
Coach Alex Crozier said the Mustangs did not find a lot of opportunities offensively.
“Typically we’re able to break teams down and get in behind them, and we weren’t able to do that today,” Crozier said. “That frustrated our players a little bit and we weren’t patient enough in the attack.
UC Davis outshot Cal Poly 17-10. The Aggies (8-4, 3-1 Big West) were led by Risa Yamada, who scored both goals.
Yamada scored in the 20th minute with a strike to the top right corner of the net, putting the ball out of keeper Lindsey Kellogg’s reach.
The Aggies led 1-0 to begin the second half, but Cal Poly was awarded free kicks in the 70th and 71st minutes.
The Mustangs were unable to put the ball in the net, and UC Davis answered again in the 76th minute.
Kellogg blocked an Aggies strike, but Yamada quickly got a foot on the ball and sunk it into the bottom left of the net.
Kellogg tallied seven saves and UC Davis keeper Nicki Rucki earned four saves.
Former San Luis Obispo High School player Olivia Ortiz and former SLO High assistant coach Sidra Bugsch ended the game with one shot each for the Mustangs.
Crozier said the Mustangs will gear up to return home to play CSU Bakersfield on Oct. 7 at Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
“Things didn’t go our way today, but we have a resilient group,” Crozier said. “We’re going to bounce back.”
This story was originally published October 3, 2021 at 4:27 PM with the headline "Big West Conference leader Cal Poly falls to UC Davis women’s soccer team on the road."
