With the rain pouring down during Wednesday’s matchup, Cal State Fullerton women’s soccer did not slip over and extended its win streak to four games, clinching a Big West Championship spot.
They defeated Cal State Bakersfield in the first of a two-game homestand to stay undefeated in conference play.
The Titans haven’t dropped a match in nearly two months, dating back to Aug. 30, and currently share the top spot in the Big West Standing with Utah Valley University.
The Roadrunners entered the midweek matchup at 2-12-2 in hopes of spoiling the Titans’ recent surge to the top.
As the crowd sat in the rain before the opening whistle, the Titans were on the attack from the get go, racking up corner kicks and shots in the first five minutes, putting the Roadrunners on their heels early.
Defensively, the Titans’ hustle and communication created space to build possession deeper into the field.
CSUF fired 19 shots in the opening 45 minutes, while their suffocating defense limited Cal State Bakersfield to only two attempts.
While the Titans controlled the attack, both squads entered intermission with zeros on their sides of the scoreboard, struggling to find the back of the net.
The closest opportunity for the Titans to score in the half arrived in the 21st minute, when senior Camryn Cruz struck the back of the net, only for the goal to be waived off for offside.
“I was a little bit offside, so I was very eager to score, but honestly I felt a bit defeated when it was taken away,” Cruz said.
Out of the break, the Titans remained relentless, recording 18 shots to mark a season-high 37 shots.
“I think that’s something that again we train at a lot,” said Head Coach Demian Brown. “We’re happy with the amount of shots that we take.”
Less than five minutes into the second half, the Titans finally broke through when freshman Jaidyn Williams buried a 48th-minute strike off a setup from seniors Sail Bozinovic and Cassie Villanueva.
“We needed a goal to set the tone,” Williams said. “Thanks to Sail, she hit a good ball in, and I just executed it.”
The Roadrunners looked for an equalizer with a quick shot attempt of their own, only for sophomore Allison Craycroft to block it.
CSUF continued applying pressure, adding to the lead behind a strike from sophomore Kayalily Penn in the 68th minute.
Less than 10 minutes later, Cruz sealed the Roadrunners’ fate, finding the back of the net off assists from redshirt senior Kaylin Raibon and freshman Riley O’Brien to make the final score 3-0.
“I knew I wanted to get another one and I eventually did,” Cruz said.
The Titans were firing on all cylinders, tallying 15 corner kicks while allowing just eight Roadrunner shots and getting four saves from Craycroft.
With the win, CSUF remains unbeaten in conference play and stretches their win streak to four. The Titans will look to cap off their homestand with another victory against UC San Diego on Saturday, Oct. 24.
“We’re just hoping to keep our momentum and keep our focus,” Brown said. “It’s really the idea that turns to our next biggest game, which is San Diego, not what’s happening in the past.”
Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.