Having lost 2-1 to the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors last Monday to open up their Big West campaign, the Matadors (0-9-2, 0-1-1 Big West) returned to their home turf at the Matador Soccer Field looking to secure their first win of the season against the UC Davis Aggies (4-4-1, 0-0-1 Big West).
In a hard-fought battle with many goal-scoring opportunities, the Matadors managed to secure their second clean sheet of the season, holding the Aggies to a scoreless draw and snapping an eight-game losing streak.
“It was a really fun game. I knew it would be challenging because it’s a conference game,” Matadors coach Christine Johnson said on the team’s Twitter. “Every time we play Davis, they always give us a run for our money.”
The Aggies dominated the first half against the Matadors, outshooting the Matadors 10-4, with four being on target. However, goalkeeper Hayden Mauldin prevented the scoreline from changing, making four of her seven recorded saves in the first half to keep the Aggies off the scoresheet.
“They [UC Davis] had a high press going on all game, and we didn’t figure it out in the first half,” Mauldin tweeted through CSUN Women’s Soccer. “It took until halftime that our speed of play needed to be better.”
Eventually, the Matadors managed to put out an offensive rhythm, firing four shots, delivering three on target.
The Matadors managed to double their offensive productivity in the second half, firing eight shots, four of which were fired on target. The closest the Matadors came to breaking the deadlock during the second half went through a corner, where defender Paige Califf’s header hit the crossbar but did not cross the goal line.
Johnson also praised the attacking opportunities created by the Matadors during the game.
“They’re starting to show their true grit and grind,” Johnson elaborated on the team’s Twitter. “Obviously, we want the result, but I couldn’t be happier with their production of play and not conceding a goal.”
However, the Matadors were tested yet again on the defensive end, with Mauldin making two critical saves in the last 10 minutes of the match to help secure the clean sheet for the Matadors.
“Everyone was really hungry this game, and you could feel there was a different energy this game,” Mauldin said in a CSUN women’s soccer tweet. “Kacie [Garrity] told me before this game, ‘We’re getting you the shutout.’”
The Matadors wrapped up a 1-1 draw against the CSU Fullerton Titans Sunday evening through a late goal scored by Izabel Reyes to secure their second conference draw.
CSUN will return to home turf Sept. 28 to host the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners at 7 p.m., continuing to look for their first win of the season.
