Matadors Open Up Big West Action with Cal Poly, Hawai'i

Friday, September 28

San Luis Obispo, Calif.

7:00 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

Cal Poly

Photo by: Paul Trafecanty

Matadors Open Up Big West Action with Cal Poly, Hawai'i

9/26/2018 11:25:00 AM | Women's Soccer

FULL GAME NOTES

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Women's Soccer (4-3-1) kicks off the Big West Conference season this Friday as the Matadors visit Cal Poly at 7 p.m. The Matadors conclude the weekend with a Sunday match against Hawai'i at 5 p.m. Big West.TV will stream Thursday night's match-up with the Mustangs while Sunday's contest will air live on the CSUN Sports Network presented by Dignity Health.

The Matadors return to the field this week for the first time in nearly two weeks. CSUN concluded non-conference play a week early on September 16 as the Matadors defeated CSU Bakersfield 2-0. Sophomore Bethany Fitzsimmons netted her third goal of the season in the 17th minute off a feed from senior Christina Nixon. In the second half, senior Marissa Favela found the back of the net via corner kick while freshman Amanda Delgado notched three saves en route to posting her second shutout. The Matadors head into Big West play with a 4-0-1 record on the road.

With the victory at CSUB, the Matadors extended their unbeaten streak on the road to eight-straight matches, setting a new school record. Earlier this season, CSUN also set a new program record by going unbeaten in 10-straight matches overall. The Matadors enter Big West play this season unbeaten in their last six conference matches. CSUN has been especially impressive at home in conference play over the last two years, posting a 5-0-3 record.

Six different Matadors have scored goals this season while eight total have at least one point. Favela and Fitzsimmons have a team-best three goals and six points apiece. Redshirt freshman Alyssa Aguilar has tallied a team-best three assists, followed closely by sophomore Payton Jo Armijo with two helpers. Delgado has started the last four matches in goal, amassing a 0.72 goals-against-average with 21 saves. Aguilar is tied for second in the Big West in assists while Favela and Fitzsimmons are tied for eighth in goals.

All time, the Matadors are 9-9-3 in conference openers. CSUN had gone unbeaten in three-straight Big West openers before falling to Cal State Fullerton last season to start conference action. The Matadors are seeking their first conference-opening road win since defeating UC Santa Barbara in 2014. In home conference openers, the Matadors are unbeaten over their last four contests and have played to draws in each of the last two seasons.

CSUN holds an 8-7-3 all-time record over Cal Poly, winning five of the last six matches including four straight. Over those six meetings, each contest has been decided by one goal. In San Luis Obispo, the Matadors are unbeaten over the last four meetings. Last season, the Matadors outlasted the Mustangs for a 3-2 win as Avery DeWitt scored her first career goal in the match. Lindsay Kutscher hit what turned out to be the game winner in a 1-0 win over Cal Poly two seasons ago.

In 14 all-time meetings, the Matadors are 10-3-1 against Hawai'i. CSUN has won the last three in the series, all by one goal. The Matadors are 6-1-1 at home in the series with their only loss coming during the 2003 season. In 2017, Favela hit a game-tying goal in the 60th minute in an eventual 2-1 win at Hawai'i. The Matadors claimed a 1-0 win in the teams' last match at CSUN as Kourtney Kutscher scored a golden goal in double overtime.

A Closer Look at Cal Poly
The Mustangs are 0-8-3 on the season after dropping a pair of matches last week to Santa Clara (5-1) and California Baptist (3-2). Cal Poly has played in four overtime matches already this season, posting a 0-2-2 record. Last Sunday, Cal Poly evened its match with CBU in the 89th minute only to fall in double overtime. Through 11 matches, the Mustangs have scored in eight of those contests.

Junior Jessica Johnson and senior Sydney Knauer have scored two goals apiece to lead the Mustangs while six others have one goal. An All-West Region Third Team selection last season, senior defender Chelsea Barry has one goal and one assist this season. In net, junior Sophia Brown has posted a Big West-best 63 saves to go with a 2.64 GAA.

A Closer Look at Hawai'i
The Rainbow Wahine improved to 5-3-1 after boasting wins on back-to-back days last week against North Dakota State (2-0) and Grand Canyon (4-0). Hawai'i is a win away from matching their entire win total from the 2017 campaign. As a team, Hawai'i is second in the Big West in goals (16) and shutouts (4).

Junior goalkeeper Alexis Mata earned her second Big West Defensive Player of the Week nod of the season after posting consecutive shutouts over the weekend. Mata is second in the league in saves with 51 while she has a 1.07 GAA. The combination of senior Raisa Strom-Okimoto and sophomore Leialoha Medeiros are tied for second in the conference with five goals apiece. Medeiros has a team-high three assists and 13 points.