Nick Larson
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This past weekend was nothing but entertaining for the Cal Poly women’s soccer team.
The Mustangs (4-5-0) returned home to Alex G. Spanos Stadium on Friday after a four-game road trip to take on Fresno State (1-8-0).
The game was quickly a rout, as junior forward Elise Krieghoff netted a hat-trick in the first 45 minutes, thanks to goals in the 11th, 17th, and 38th minutes.
The second half continued to be rough for the Bulldogs, as sophomore forward Megan Abutin converted a penalty kick in the 52nd minute for her third goal of the season. She also added an assist, leading the team with four this season.
Krieghoff continued her dominance, adding a second half brace to go with her first half hat-trick, capping her night at five goals. She tied a school record with her performance, as well as tying the Big West Conference record for goals in a single game. Krieghoff is the first Big West player with five goals in a single game since 2002.
Even more impressive, Krieghoff only played for approximately two-thirds of the game. On Monday, Krieghoff was named the Big West Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the seventh time in her career.
The 6-1 victory over Fresno State is the largest for the Mustangs this season.
On Sunday, the Mustangs faced their toughest test of the season, No. 4 Stanford.
The Cardinal (8-0-1) has yet to surrender a goal this season, a ridiculous feat unmatched by any other team in the nation.
Through one half, the Mustangs were able to keep the game at a scoreless stalemate. They mustered three legitimate scoring attempts, but were unable to do what no team had done before. Junior goalkeeper Alyssa Giannetti kept the Cardinal at bay, making four saves in the first half.
In the second half, Stanford showed its quality, putting two goals past Giannetti for the 2-0 victory.
The Mustangs fell to 4-5 on the season and are two games away from conference play.
Giannetti is only two saves from No. 2 on the all-time Cal Poly saves list, made more impressive by her junior class standing. She will look to move into second on Friday, as the Mustangs host Saint Mary’s in Alex G Spanos Stadium at 5 p.m.