Amelia Parreira
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The Cal Poly women’s soccer team (10-8-0, 5-2-0 Big West Conference) emerged with a 2-0 victory against UC Santa Barbara (8-8-2, 2-5-0 Big West) in the Blue-Green Rivalry game Sunday at Alex G. Spanos Stadium. The Mustangs have now clinched a spot in the Big West playoffs, which will take place at Cal Poly.
The game began with a bang as sophomore forward Megan Abutin slotted home a cross from junior forward Elise Krieghoff in the 2nd minute, her seventh goal this year.
Krieghoff brought the crowd to its feet once again when she doubled the lead in the 14th minute, banging home a pass from Abutin. The goal, Krieghoff’s 14th this season, puts her in sole possession of first place on the Cal Poly all-time goals list with 46.
“We scored early, so I just kind of went off the momentum of scoring our first goal,” Krieghoff said. “There was a lot of adrenaline, a lot of things going on today emotionally.”
Krieghoff was not the only record-breaker, as the assist by Abutin puts her in a tie for first on the Cal Poly single-season assists list with 12.
“It’s one of those things that you never anticipated,” head coach Alex Crozier said. “We accomplished a lot of things today.”
The second half remained rather uneventful despite the players’ high energy. The Mustangs nearly extended the lead when freshman forward McKenzie Flood hit the post with a strong shot. Senior midfielder Sara Lancaster was unable to finish the rebound off Flood’s shot, sending her attempt wide.
The Gauchos came close to scoring in the second half as well. However, their shots could not get passed junior goalkeeper Alyssa Giannetti, who was forced to make four saves in the game, despite the Mustangs outshooting the Gauchos 12-9.
Greeted by newly-acquired fans for high-fives and pictures following the game, Krieghoff now experiences what it’s like to live the “celebrity” life.
“It’s just fun,” Krieghoff said. “It’s nice to know our team gets recognition for what we do.”
The Mustangs play their last regular season match at Cal State Fullerton at 2 p.m. on Nov. 2.
“We still have a chance to win the conference title outright, so we’re focused on that right now,” Crozier said. “We’re not even thinking about the tournament yet. We’re just happy we’re in it.”