After securing a 2-2 draw against the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) at home, University of California Riverside’s (UCR) women’s soccer team traveled west to take on the California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) Titans. Last season, the Highlanders beat the Titans in a goal fest, but this season both sides have struggled to put the ball in the back of the net. Before playing Santa Barbara, the Highlanders failed to score in their previous five games.
Despite being posed with the same problem, both sides came out the gates with opposite approaches.
Without the ball, the Highlanders were happy to sit back and let the Titans play into their own half. Utilizing their speed, UCR looked to hit the Titans on the counter to set up freshman Mimi Dominguez. However, this strategy invited plenty of pressure from the opposition.
Meanwhile, the Titans looked to suffocate the Highlanders when they tried to play from out the back. Sophomore Kaylee Noble and junior Isabella Cruz pinned UCR’s center backs while senior Karla Rodriguez pounced on any outlet pass directed to a midfielder. The Titans were able to force turnovers aplenty and chances for Cruz.
She forced a couple saves from sophomore goalkeeper Allee Grashoff and even hit the post on one occasion. Cruz was knocking on the door and she finally broke through in the 30 minute mark. A lovely one-two from sophomore Sail Bozinovic and Rodriguez infiltrated the Riverside defense. Then, Bozinovic squared it for an awaiting Cruz who put it away to put the Titans up 1-0.
After the goal, the Titans continued to pile on the pressure. Just before halftime they were awarded a free kick right outside UCR’s penalty area. Junior Kaylin Raibon and freshman Lauren Turner lined up to take the kick. Everyone expected the more experienced Raibon to take the free kick. As she trotted towards the ball, Raibon lifted her leg at the last moment to allow Turner to run up and smash the ball hard and low through the wall and into the net.
Turner’s first career collegiate goal put her side up 2-0 going into halftime. She celebrated with the rest of her team while the Highlanders went into the locker rooms frustrated. Despite leading by two goals, the Titans wouldn’t let up in the second half. They came out with the same level of pressing intensity that saw so much success in the first half.
The Highlanders needed to break CSUF’s press to find success in the second half, but the Titans rotated their forwards to keep everybody fresh. CSUF’s press was just as relentless and effective. Following an inadvertent pass from UCR freshman Nikki Velasco deep in her own half, fellow freshman Cayla Oliveira of the Titans scooped up the loose ball and fired it into the top left corner.
Just six minutes later, senior Graci Raymond assisted sophomore Gracie Paton to put the game away. It was a disappointing game for the Highlanders on both sides of the pitch. With the ball, the Highlanders struggled to move the ball up the field and retain possession. Without it, they defended without providing any counter attacking threat. After starting conference play 0-3-1, the Highlanders are still looking for their first Big West win.
