First place Cal Poly shuts out Northridge soccer team: ‘I want to win the conference’
The Cal Poly women’s soccer team defeated Cal State Northridge 3-0 inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium on Sunday, holding onto the Mustangs’ Big West Conference lead.
Coach Alex Crozier said Cal State Northridge was a tough opponent and the Mustangs delivered a good game.
“We did a good job of moving the ball and finishing our chances,” Crozier said. “We had good energy with our team and good energy off the bench.”
The Mustangs (9-6, 5-1 Big West) scored their first goal against the Matadors (2-13, 1-4) in the 9th minute, as forward Nikki Trucco found the bottom right of the net off an assist by forward Brooke Rubinstein.
“Scoring first was a really good feeling to get that in early,” Trucco said. “I want to win the conference so bad and in order to secure that, it’s really important that we win every single game.”
Trucco leads the Mustangs with eight goals and is second in the conference.
Defender Emily Talmi extended the Mustangs’ lead to 2-0 in the 26th minute, dribbling the ball from the halfway line up the left of the field and scoring her second goal of the year.
Freshman goalkeeper Mackenzie Samuel made four saves. Samuel’s biggest save came in the 36th minute, as Alyssa Aguilar took a penalty kick for the Matadors.
Samuel saved Aguilar’s shot to the bottom center of the net, however, the ball rebounded off of Samuel. Aguilar took another shot to the center of the net, which was again saved by Cal Poly’s keeper.
“You have to put your team on your back for those five seconds, and I knew my teammates were supporting me from the line,” Samuel said. “It’s one of the best feelings to be able to make a save for your team and keep them in the game.”
The final goal was delivered by Cal Poly’s Kate Reedy in the 69th minute. Reedy scored off an assist by forward Olivia Ortiz, striking the ball to the top center of the goal.
Ortiz, a former SLO High player, leads the Mustangs with five assists and ranks second in the conference.
Other players with SLO County ties were featured in the contest, including former SLO High players Angie Crozier and Grace Park, former Tigers’ assistant coach Sidra Bugsch and Morro Bay High grad Emma Hotaling.
Crozier, a freshman whose father Alex Crozier is Cal Poly’s longtime head coach, and Bugsch tallied one shot apiece.
The Mustangs’ next and final home game of the regular season is at noon Oct. 17 against UC San Diego.
This story was originally published October 10, 2021 at 3:58 PM with the headline "First place Cal Poly shuts out Northridge soccer team: ‘I want to win the conference’."
