Oct. 9, 2009
Box Score
Stockton, Calif. - Sophomore Laura Hogan's (Poway, Calif.) goal in the 58th minute of a scoreless contest gave Pacific the final 1-0 edge over Cal State Northridge at home on Friday, Oct. 9.
With the victory Pacific improved to 8-3-2 overall and 2-0 in the Big West Conference, while Cal State Northridge dropped to 5-8-0 and 1-2 in conference.
Despite a scoreless first-half in which Pacific out-shot the Matadors eight to one, Hogan's goal proved to be the difference-maker at 57:13. Freshman Laura Hernandez (Seattle, Wash.) crossed to Hogan from 15 yards out, and Hogan launched the ball from the left side across the goal, where it found the back of the net and put the Tigers up 1-0 early in the second half.
Pacific had another good look two minutes later, at 59:32, when sophomore Angelica Figueroa (Linden, Calif.) tapped the ball up the pitch and towards the goal to sophomore Kristina Wavomba (Encinitas, Calif.), who immediately dished out to junior Natalie Wong (Mililani, Hawaii). Wong struck from 12 yards out and to the left of the goal just barely missed scoring a second, insurance goal as the ball struck the right post to end Pacific's attempted attack.
In the 70th minute, a Pacific corner kick initiated by Hernandez found sophomore Alex Topp (San Diego, Calif.) who headed the ball in towards the goal, but was called for a foul before the play could continue.
Pacific's defense held strong, stripping the ball away from Cal State Northridge and keeping possession on Pacific's half of the pitch. During the 73rd minute, Hernandez earned a scoring opportunity of her own, as she took a shot from the right side of the goal to draw Matador goalie Hayley Hawes out of the box. Hernandez quickly saw the open chance but took a shot and missed wide.
On the goal kick, the Matadors used the shift in possession to try and even the score, as Jasmine Pratt tried to get one in at 73:48. Pratt received a pass from teammate Marie Hirsch, who dribbled the ball up the pitch without defender. However, junior goalie Jill Medigovich (San Diego, Calif.) was there to grab down her second save of the evening.
Two minutes later, Desiree Cardenas followed up with a rebound shot off a Matador corner kick. From the left side, Cardenas took a header towards the goal that was bound to go in over Medigovich's head. However, the goalie took a last-second hop and punched the ball up and out of the goal at the last second to give her another save in the match.
After another shot by Cal State Northridge failed to find the back of the net, the Tigers regained control and composed themselves to get a few more shots in on the Matadors. On a four-by-four situation, Wavomba and Hernandez drove the ball down the pitch in the 80th minute as Wavomba tapped to Hernandez from the right sideline. Hernandez then teed off and just missed another shot wide.
Earlier in the game, Hogan fittingly christened Cal State Northridge's starting goalie, Leah Elliott, at 6:24, when she struck the first shot of the match after pushing the ball up the pitch. From 10 yards out, Hogan launched the ball towards the Tiger goal, but missed wide.
In the ensuing Tiger play at 9:03, Figueroa took a corner kick from the right side of the field that connected with Topp from one yard out. Topp used a header to push the ball in towards the goal, but it bounced off the right post and a Cal State Northridge defender before clearance out of the box.
At 16:09 Hogan tried to find the back of the net again, after Hernandez and Wavomba sent back-to-back passes that connected with Hogan. From eight yards out to the left of the goal, Hogan served up Elliott's first save of the match. Only 30 seconds later, a failed clearance from the Matador defense gave Hogan the ball once more. From five yards out, Hogan capitalized and took a shot that Elliott dove to the left for in attempt to save, but the ball slipped out of her fingers and closer towards the goal line. Seeing the lapsed play, a Matador defender sprinted out from the right side and into the box to clear the ball out of the goal as the Matador defense collectively took a momentary sigh of relief.
Eventually, Pacific went on to out-shoot the Matadors 15 to eight. All three goalies in the match recorded three saves each. Hogan and Figueroa led all players with four shots in the game and three on goal.
The Tigers next return to action on Sunday, Oct. 11 when they host UC Irvine at 1 p.m.
