CSUN Hits the Road for Tests at UCSB and Cal Poly

FULL GAME NOTES

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Women's Soccer hits the road for a pair of Big West matches this week. The Matadors visit UC Santa Barbara on Thursday night at 7 p.m. before squaring off with Cal Poly on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Both Matador games will be broadcast on ESPN+. Also, follow @CSUNWSoccer for live in-game updates.

LAST TIME OUT
CSUN had its three-game undefeated streak snapped last Sunday as Long Beach State picked up a 3-1 victory at Matador Soccer Field. The Matadors jumped in front with a goal in the 16th minute on a header from Ashley Cruz but the Beach found the equalizer four minutes later. The game remained squared at 1-1 until the 45th minute when Long Beach State hit the net again. Cherrie Cox notched her second goal of the match in the 59th minute to give the Beach a two-goal lead they would not relinquish. In front of the goal, Hayden Mauldin recorded eight saves while the Matadors also had a team save on the day.

MATADOR HEADLINES
CSUN's loss last Sunday dropped the Matadors (1-10-3, 1-2-2, Big West) out of the top six in The Big West standings. However, CSUN (five points) is only two points from the top six and just three points back of fourth place. Cal State Fullerton has moved into the top spot with 12 points while Hawai'i and Cal Poly are tied for second place with 10 points apiece. UC Davis and Long Beach State have eight points followed by UC San Diego and UC Riverside with seven apiece and Cal State Bakersfield with six points. CSUN is in a three-way tie currently with UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine with five points each.

Ashley Cruz hit the net for the second time this season last Sunday. Cruz, who is in her seventh season with the Matadors, is second on the team in goals and points (6). Kacie Garrity was credited with the assist on Cruz's goal, giving her two helpers on the season.

CSUN's offense has come alive over recent matches with the team registering six goals over the last three contests. The Matadors, who went scoreless through the first six contests of the year, have scored in six of the last eight matches. Izabel Reyes leads the team with three goals while six others have at least one goal.

A two-time Big West Defensive Player of the Week, Hayden Mauldin enters play this week tied for first in the conference in saves at 77. Her save mark is also ranked 14th-most in the nation. In addition, Mauldin is second in The Big West in saves per game (5.50), third in shutouts (3) and fourth in save percentage (.762).

SERIES HISTORY
UC Santa Barbara holds an 18-11-1 edge over CSUN in the all-time series with wins over the last two seasons. The Gauchos notched a 2-0 win over the Matadors last season at Matador Soccer Field. CSUN's last win in the series was in the semifinals of the 2019 Big West Championship with Alexis White scoring a golden goal in a 1-0 triumph.

Cal Poly also leads CSUN by a narrow 10-9-3 edge in the all-time series. Cal Poly has won the last two meetings in the series by 3-0 margins each. In last season's match, the Mustangs scored three times over the last 12-plus minutes to secure the 3-0 victory. The Matadors' last win in the series was a 2-0 win in 2019.

SCOUTING UC SANTA BARBARA
The Gauchos come in with a 3-5-7 overall record with a 1-3-2 mark in The Big West. In last week's action, UCSB dropped a 2-1 decision at UC San Diego. The Gauchos hold a 3-1-3 record at Harder Stadium on the year with their only loss coming to Cal Poly. Prior to the season, UCSB was selected sixth in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll. Lauren Helwig is ranked seventh in The Big West with 11 points and eighth in goals with four. Olivia Howard is behind Helwig with three goals and eight points. In goal, three different Gauchos have played at least 400 minutes in net with Sabrina Hinz posting the best goals-against-average (1.03).

SCOUTING CAL POLY
The Mustangs hold a 5-5-3 overall record with a 3-1-1 league record. Cal Poly played to a 0-0 draw with Long Beach State and defeated UC Irvine 2-1 on the road last week. The Mustangs are 2-2-1 at home on the year with only one home loss in Big West play to Cal State Fullerton. After winning the 2022 Big West regular season title, the Mustangs were picked to finish second this year by the league's head coaches. Annika Smith is also seventh in The Big West with four goals to go with 10 points while Jessie Halladay has three goals and 10 points on the season. Mackenzie Samuel has played every minute in goal, posting a 1.38 GAA.

#GoMatadors

CSUN Hits the Road for Tests at UCSB and Cal Poly

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Players Mentioned

Ashley Cruz

Kacie Garrity

Hayden Mauldin

Izabel Reyes