Oct. 23, 2009
Box Score
Stockton, Calif. - Although the Pacific women's soccer team took three valid shots in overtime, Cal Poly was able to slip one by the Tiger defense in the 99th minute of the game, and final two minutes of overtime, to claim a 1-0 (OT) victory via golden goal.
With the loss, Pacific fell to 9-5-2 overall and 3-2-0 in the Big West Conference, while the Mustangs continued to stay atop the Big West Conference with a 12-5-0 overall record and a 6-1-0 conference mark.
At 98:08, Cal Poly's Afton Thulin followed up an earlier Mustang shot by Whitney Sisler that was blocked by the Tiger defense and found the unoccupied corner of the net. With junior goalie Jill Medigovich (San Diego, Calif.) scrambling back to her mark from the blocked shot, Thulin seized the opportunity and gave Cal Poly the 1-0 victory to end the game.
Earlier in the overtime period, Pacific came out of the gates ready to score, notching three shots. The two best chances of the game began in the 95th minute, when junior Natalie Wong (Mililani, Hawaii) played the corner kick from sophomore Angelica Figueroa (Linden, Calif.) at 94:11. Figueroa's kick found sophomore Alex Topp (San Diego, Calif.) in front of the net, who flicked to an open Wong from the left side, who headed the ball into the crossbar and out of play.
After the play fizzled out, Figueroa got another chance at game-ending heroics at 97:18. Figueroa received a cross from sophomore Laura Hogan (Poway, Calif.) from five yards out, then wound up and served up a shot a little too high. That was the final scoring opportunity Pacific had before the Mustangs went ahead with the game-winning goal.
In the game's second half, Cal Poly's best shot at taking an early victory occurred in the 53rd minute, when Kristina Condon-Sherwood earned a free kick from 12 yards in front of the goal and to the right. Her shot ricocheted off the Tiger wall five yards in front of the goal and foiled the Mustangs' best scoring opportunity.
Pacific then used the swing of momentum off its own free kick at 54:30. Topp served one up from 30 yards out with too much force, as the ball went high. When Cal Poly gained possession again, another close call came at the foot of Morgan Miller at 63:08, when she took her own shot from eight yards out. Freshman Lauren Olvera (Whittier, Calif.) was there, however, to knock the ball off its track straight for the goal and earn the Tigers a team save.
Two more free kicks in the second half gave Cal Poly unfulfilled chances. Condon-Sherwood took both of those shots, with the first at the top of the penalty box 75:14 minutes into the game. Much to the Tigers' relief, the shot went skyward and out of play. But Condon-Sherwood was given a free pass again in the 82nd minute after Pacific drew a yellow card. This time, Medigovich was there to snag the save off Condon-Sherwood's shot from 11 yards out.
In the first half, Pacific found its most abundant offensive rhythm, tallying 11 shots in the frame. The Tigers' best chance came early on in the 12th minute. From the midfield, Figueroa found Hogan, who tapped to sophomore Kristina Wavomba (Encinitas, Calif.). Wavomba was stationed 25 yards out from the goal and used her momentum to power past the defense, dribbling one-on-one towards the goalie, Coral Hoover. She tried to tap the ball past Hoover, but applied slightly more force than necessary, and kicked it wide past the right post.
In the contest, Pacific played aggressively and controlled the ball on their half of the pitch throughout the majority of the game. That was evidenced by the fact the the Tigers out-shot Cal Poly 24 to 13.
Pacific concludes its 2009 home schedule on Sunday, Oct. 25 for the first Pacific Think Pink game of October, as well as Senior Day. Game time is scheduled for 12 p.m.
