Women’s Soccer recorded their first Big West victory of the season with a shutout over the UC Davis Aggies 1-0 on Sunday, Oct. 13 at Aggie Field. Freshman forward Nikki Trucco gave Cal Poly their lone score of the game off an assist by sophomore forward Brooke Rubinstein in the 51st minute.
Cal Poly (4-9-1, 1-2 Big West) controlled most of the first half as they had a 9-7 shot advantage and a 2-0 edge on corner kicks. However, the Mustangs failed to put the ball in the back of the net thanks to five saves by Aggie goalkeeper Nicki Rucki.
The Mustangs continued to put pressure on the Aggies (5-9, 0-4 Big West) in the second half. Only six minutes into the second half, the Mustangs scored the go-ahead goal. Rubinstein, a Davis native, launched a right-footed cross to the far post as Trucco fired the ball into the back of the net. Trucco’s go-ahead goal was her second goal of the season, while Rubinstein recorded her second assist of the season.
In the second half, the Mustangs took 11 shots compared to Davis’ five shots, and had a 6-0 advantage on corner kicks. The Mustangs shutout the Aggies thanks to six total saves by senior goalkeeper Sophia Brown. The shutout was Brown’s 12th in her collegiate career.
Overall, the Mustangs had 20 shots (11 on goal) compared to 12 shots (6 on goal) for the Aggies. Cal Poly also recorded an 8-0 corner kick margin, but failed to convert on set-pieces.
With the victory, the Mustangs are currently in sixth place in the Big West standings. The Aggies remain in the last place in the conference.
The Mustangs will visit UC Santa Barbara (6-3-3, 2-0 Big West) on Sunday, Oct. 20 at Harder Stadium for the Blue-Green Rivalry. Kickoff is at 7 pm.