On a sweltering Sunday, the No. 24 San Diego State women’s soccer team did not break a sweat on top of the SDSU Sports Deck, as they thoroughly outplayed the University of California, Davis to a score of 2-0. Freshman Angela Mitchell netted both goals for the Aztecs, who earned their first victory of the season and evened their record at 1-1.
Coming off the bench, Mitchell first entered the game in the 20th minute and quickly made her presence felt. As head coach Mike Friesen said, “her speed is ridiculous” and she had numerous attempts to prove just that as the ball consistently found its way to her side. It was not until the 31st minute that senior Katie Perry passed the ball to the freshman forward who then delivered a shot to the bottom left side of the net to give the Aztecs their first lead in this newly blossoming season.
The Aztecs kept their momentum going into the second half and continued to push the ball into their attacking third as the Aggies did everything possible to prevent a blowout. However, UC Davis’ defense once again faltered as Mitchell returned to the pitch just 50 seconds prior to scoring her second goal of the game. Senior Hannah Keane set up her freshman counterpart, drawing two defenders in the middle of the box and leaving Mitchell all alone on the right side with a clear shot at the net.
This match between these California-based universities was a mismatch on the field, but was even more so on paper as the Aztecs dominated total shots 21-6, and finished with a 9-3 advantage in shots on goal. SDSU also had the edge in corner kicks, 9-2, and did not allow UC Davis one in the second half.
Sunday’s match also saw the first start of sophomore goalkeeper Sophia Trujillo’s career while donning the black and red (technically orange for the goalkeepers). In her first shutout, she also posted three saves in her full 90 minutes of play.
Even though SDSU was clearly the more talented team on the field last Sunday, Friesen pointed out an area of concern about the defense, as he felt they lost focus in the waning minutes of the game.
“In the beginning we were a little bit more high-pressed and then as we felt that we gained control of the game, we backed off a little and would like to see that improve,” Friesen said.
Of course that is to be expected from a coach who is looking forward to making his fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament, and knows what it takes to guide a team there.
“We are focused on making sure we are our best every single day and let the results take care of themselves and its fun to see that hard work produces wins,” he said.
The Aztecs play host to University of California, Riverside at 4 p.m. PT this Friday, Aug. 29, as they continue their four-game home stand.
