After a disappointing 1-0 loss to Hawaii last Thursday, Cal Poly Women’s Soccer turned the page on Sunday with a commanding win against Cal State Fullerton, a team with only one loss heading into the match. 

While the game got chippy at times and several yellow cards were given, Cal Poly (5-2-8, 3-2-1 Big West) controlled the match and handed Fullerton (10-2-2, 3-2-1 Big West) their second loss of the season with a 2-0 victory. The win moved the teams into a three-way tie for third in the conference with UC Irvine. 

In a dominating performance, the Mustangs held the Titans to just one shot on target for the entire match. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Shannon Porubski took care of business when needed and recorded her third clean sheet and win of Big West Conference play with the win against Fullerton. 

The Cal Poly offense was what shined during the match though, keeping the majority of possession and outshooting Fullerton 12 shots to three, with six of them being on frame. 

Junior forward Annika Smith had another stellar performance, scoring twice in the second half and adding to her now seven goals on the season. 

“I have been working on my confidence on and off the ball, and just knowing that I can get it done on the field is awesome,” Smith said. 

With Smith’s two goals tonight, she now co-leads the Big West in goals scored alongside her captain, senior forward Jessie Halladay. They currently both have seven goals and a combined 44 shots on goal this season. 

Smith attributed the mental shift of the team to the increased intensity in the Cal Poly offense, noting that they need to maintain this level of focus for the remainder of the season.

“The mindset is that this game is now the standard, we cannot drop below the standard, and we need to keep fighting every single day,” Smith said. 

Jessie Halladay has been a key leader for the Mustangs’ offense this season, serving as a captain and leading goal scorer. Credit: Chloe Briote-Johnson / Mustang News

Another integral piece of the Mustang offense is graduate transfer midfielder Madelyn Dougherty, who currently leads the Big West in assists with seven. 

On Oct. 9, Dougherty was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Midseason Top 100 players across all Division One schools. She was the only Big West player to make the list. 

“All I can think about is all the people that have helped me get to this point,” Dougherty said. “My family, my loved ones, all the coaches I’ve had, Coach Bernardo, the staff, and the girls, just super grateful and hungry for more.”

Head coach Bernardo Silva added that Dougherty’s contributions to the team do not end on the field, and that she has become a role model to the younger athletes in the program.

“She adds a ton more off the field,” Silva said. “What she does in our locker room, her values, she’s a pure, authentic, young woman, and she’s a winner.”

Before and after the game, both teams honored Lauren Turner and Ashlyn Gwynn, two Titan soccer players who were in an accident on Sept. 27 while riding electric scooters. They have been in critical condition in the ICU since the accident. 

The Mustangs and the Titans joined together after the match for a prayer circle around the center of the field where the Mustangs also gifted the Titans a basket filled with letters and candy. While there were moments of contention during the match, it was clear that both of the teams had mutual respect and compassion for one another off the field. 

Silva mentioned that he has been checking in with Fullerton head coach Demian Brown daily since the accident.

“My heart is with Fullerton,” Silva said. “I hope to see them in the final of the Big West tournament.”

In order to make it to the final of the Big West Championship, the Mustangs will need to continue to build on this momentum to finish in the top six: the requirement to make it into the postseason.  

The road to championship play continues as Cal Poly looks to take down Long Beach State on Oct. 16 in Long Beach, Calif.