After posting back-to-back shutouts in their last two contests, the Seattle University women's soccer team could not hang on to earn their fifth victory of the season over the Cal Poly Mustangs Friday evening at Alex G. Spanos Field in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The Redhawks (4-2) got on the board first, off a Kara Kuttler goal in the 24th minute, but that was not enough as Cal Poly (1-2) scored twice late in the second half to earn their first win of the season.
Kuttler led the Seattle offense in the contest with a team-leading six shots, five of which were on goal. With her first half goal, she leads SU with three goals on the season. Midway through the first period the Redhawks got the ball into the Mustang box. A SeattleU shot deflected off the crossbar and senior Kate Edstrom received it. She feed it to Kuttler who knocked it into the back of the net to give SU a 1-0 lead.
"We had a solid first half and were the better team," said head coach Julie Woodward. "However this was a tale of two halves. We were not as composed in the second half and gave the ball away a lot. We need to get better in those situations.
Seattle took Cal Poly into halftime with a 1-0 lead. Despite out shooting CP 12-11, the Redhawks only managed to get three shots fired off in the second half, all of which were on goal. The California-based squad appeared rejuvenated after a sluggish, two-shot first period, and fired off nine shots in the second half. They forced sophomore Madison Goverde to remain on her toes throughout the final 45, as she tallied seven saves in the second half and a season-high nine saves total in the game.
The normally impenetrable Seattle backline broke down against Cal Poly, beginning in the 68th minute when the Mustangs tied the game at one-all. Morgan Miller scored an unassisted goal off a shot from 10 yards out past Goverde. Capitalizing on SU's jilted defense, CP's Kristina Condon-Sherwood scored the game-winner with a long shot to the far post at the 71:43 minute mark off a Kaleena Andruss assist.
Kuttler and Taylor Fannin saw the Redhawks brightest chances of going home with a draw, as their respective shots in the final ten minutes of regulation were both saved by Cal Poly's goalkeeper Coral Hoover. Hoover had five saves in the game and the Mustang's tallied a team save as well.
After their lone game in the Golden State, SeattleU looks to bounce back at the Oregon Nike Tournament in Eugene, Ore. SU will square off with Oregon State on Friday, Sept. 11, at 4:30 p.m. The Redhawks will close out the weekend with tournament hosts Oregon on Sunday, Sept. 13, at 1 p.m.