Mustang Daily Staff Report
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The Cal Poly men’s soccer team earned a weekend split after defeating Cal State Fullerton 2-0 on Friday night and losing to No. 24 UC Riverside 3-2 in overtime on Sunday.
A two-goal performance by junior forward Mackenzie Pridham was all that Cal Poly needed in its Big West Conference opener.
Pridham managed a goal in each half — one in the 26th minute and another in the 76th minute — to extend his team-leading goal count to five.
Cal Poly (6-4, 1-1 Big West) has won six of its last eight matches with losses during that stretch coming to ranked teams. Last Sunday the Mustangs dropped a 1-0 home decision to No. 12 UCLA. The Mustangs had won five straight heading into their clash with the Bruins, but were stopped short of winning six in a row by a 47th minute goal by UCLA. The streak was the longest in Cal Poly history since the program’s first season at the Division I level in 1994.
Pridham helped the Mustangs get on the board Friday when he received a give-and-go cross from senior midfielder Chris Gaschen that he slotted past the Titans goalkeeper.
Pridham scored again on a feed from junior midfielder Mike Hocker that developed from a Mustangs counterattack just 14 minutes from time. Pridham fired from 20 yards out to seal the win and give Cal Poly a 1-0 start in conference play.
On Sunday, the Mustangs offense came out early against No. 24 UC Riverside, as junior midfielder George Malki scored in the seventh minute on a one-on-one opportunity against the Highlanders goalkeeper from five yards out.
But UC Riverside scored just 44 seconds later when defender Hayden Leslie headed a corner kick into the back of the net to knot the score at one just over eight minutes in.
In the 40th minute, redshirt freshman midfielder Matt LaGrassa slotted home a loose rebound when freshman outside back Kip Colvey sent a cross towards the penalty area to give Cal Poly a 2-1 lead.
But, once again, the Highlanders responded. Forward Jimmy Martinez put away a loose ball rebound in the 52nd minute to tie the match at 2-2.
The Highlanders eventually won the match on a 91st minute goal by sophomore forward Otis Earle, who beat sophomore goalkeeper Chase Hauser in a one-one-one opportunity. The loss was Hauser’s first in six starts this season.
After dropping five straight matches, the Cal Poly women’s soccer team (5-5-1) posted two wins over the weekend to open up its portion of the conference schedule undefeated at 2-0.
The Mustangs routed Pacific on Friday night with a 4-1 victory in Alex G. Spanos Stadium. Freshman forward Elise Krieghoff scored twice in the win to help end the Mustangs’ losing skid. She leads the team with six goals on the year.
Against the Tigers, Cal Poly opened the scoring in the 20th minute when Krieghoff knocked home a pass by senior forward Cici Kobinski.
Sophomore forward Sara Epps extended the lead in the 29th minute before Pacific’s Kortney Agdeppa helped the Tigers get on the board before halftime, making it 2-1.
But the Mustangs pulled away after the break on a goal by sophomore forward Sara Lancaster and Krieghoff’s second of the match.
The Mustangs used that momentum to capitalize against UC Davis, as they shut out the Aggies 1-0 on Sunday. Krieghoff proved to be the difference again with a 12th minute strike off a loose ball rebound inside the six-yard box.
The Cal Poly women’s soccer team travels to UC Irvine on Friday in hopes of extending its win streak to three games.
Stephan Teodosescu contributed to this article