CSUN Grinds Out 1-0 Victory Over Idaho State

Thursday, August 20

Northridge, Calif.

7:00 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

1-2-0, 0-0-0

Idaho State

0-1-1, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Idaho St.	0	0	0
CSUN	0	1	1

Ariana Lopez-Angel vs. Idaho State 8-20-26

Photo by: Chuck Marvel

CSUN Grinds Out 1-0 Victory Over Idaho State

8/20/2026 9:48:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---Ariana Lopez-Angel scored a game-winning penalty kick in the 76th minute to help lift CSUN to its first victory of the season by a 1-0 score over Idaho State on Thursday at Matador Soccer Field. Each side would earn a penalty kick in the match, but Lopez-Angel's attempt would be the only one to hit the net. Hayden Mauldin contributed nine saves while Sydney Lipkin picked up a team save to preserve the shutout.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Idaho State would test the Matador defense throughout most of the night. The Bengals hit the post twice in the first nine minutes of action while Mauldin turned away a shot from Samantha Fenske off a rebound. After picking up two more saves, Mauldin would be called upon to come up big when CSUN was whistled for a handball in its own box in the 33rd minute. Idaho State was awarded a penalty kick after a video review, but Mauldin would knock away Saydree Cooke's attempt on an acrobatic move to her right. CSUN withstood a pair of corner kicks in the final minutes of the first half as the score remained 0-0 at the break.

The Bengals kept up the pressure on the Matador defense, generating eight shots over the first 15 minutes of the second half. However, Mauldin and the Matadors would continue to keep the ball out of the net. In a wild sequence, Mauldin picked up a save in the 59th minute, leading to an Idaho State corner kick. After the set piece, Cooke looked as though she had the Matador defense beat with a shot from the right side of the box. However, Lipkin stepped up to make a team save, giving Mauldin a chance to recover to make another save off a shot from Gracie East moments later.

While outshot most of the contest, the Matadors flipped the script with pressure of their own down the stretch. After a pair of corner kicks, the Matadors earned a penalty kick when Ireland Regan's shot was blocked and an Idaho State defender committed a handball off the rebound. Lopez-Angel stepped up to take the penalty kick and would calmly strike the back of the net to put CSUN ahead. From there, the Matadors held off the Bengals in the closing moments including surviving last minute strikes from Stephanie Roper and Cooke to prevail.

NOTES OF THE GAME

CSUN improved to 1-2 on the season while Idaho State drops to 0-1-1.
Lopez-Angel's goal was the first of her two-year Matador career.
CSUN's home-opening victory was its first since 2015.
The Bengals finished with s 28-12 edge in the shot count while Idaho State also had a 10-7 advantage in shots on goal.
In corner kicks, Idaho State had seven compared to six for CSUN.
Defenders Siena Navarra, Alex Valente and Lipkin played the full 90 minutes for CSUN.
Keilani Claiborne for CSUN and Lena Bonnard for Idaho State each were shown yellow cards.

ACCORDING TO COACH GINA BREWER
"I'm very impressed with Hayden, obviously she's coming back from an injury that unfortunately kept her out of playing for a couple seasons. She's getting back going and that's a big confidence boost for her to make that save on the penalty kick. She also made some other quality saves. Sydney Lipkin made another save off the goal line as well, so that was really good for us. But it was not a pretty game, still lots of work to do to continue to improve in a lot of aspects. For us though to get that penalty kick opportunity and to put it away and win 1-0, I'm very proud of the team overall.

"Ari is coming off an injury that she suffered early in the year. She's slowly been able to get back to playing full minutes. For her to have that opportunity to take the penalty kick and put it away, it's going to keep her moving forward in the right direction."

UP NEXT
CSUN will hit the road next week to take on Grand Canyon on Thursday, Aug. 27. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

#GoMatadors