The San Diego State Aztecs (6-3-5, 2-1-3 Mountain West) women’s soccer team was defeated by the Boise State Broncos (7-3-6, 5-0-2 Mountain West) in a gut-wrenching match on Oct. 16 at the SDSU Sports Deck.
This is SDSU’s first loss in conference play, and their first loss in almost two months, with a 3-0 defeat against No. 2 Stanford on Aug. 21. It ends a 10-game unbeaten streak in which the Aztecs had won and drawn five games apiece. This result comes after starting Mountain West play with a road-heavy schedule.
“It’s been tough because we played four of the first five [conference games] on the road,” said head coach Mike Friesen.
Amongst a raucous crowd, Boise State began the game controlling possession and looking like they would be the first team on the scoresheet. However, sophomore defender Emma Fuller had other ideas. In a goal assisted by Katie Senn and Victoria Miller, Fuller’s shot found the back of the net, giving the home team a 1-0 lead at the 30th minute.
For Fuller, this makes back-to-back games with a goal. After scoring the game-winner in SDSU’s 3-2 win at San Jose State on Oct. 12, she is now tied for second on the team with three goals in the season.
SDSU maintained momentum for the rest of the first half. Friesen’s group didn’t let halftime halt that, as their attacking seemed to put them closer to a two-goal lead.
“[We] settled into the game and once we found the rhythm and found [Fuller’s] goal, I thought we were in relatively control of the game the rest of the way,” Friesen said.
The Aztec defense stood tall, seeming like it would hold on for victory against a Boise State team, which currently finds itself atop the Mountain West standings. But with less than 10 minutes to go, Boise State sophomore midfielder Jillian Anderson tied the game. It would not be the final impact Anderson had in the match.
In the 87th minute, SDSU got its last attempt at a game-winning goal, as freshman forward Ciara Jade Mitchell maneuvered past the Bronco defense and managed a great strike, saved by Boise State goalkeeper Ava de Leest.
Just one minute later, the Aztecs suffered a gut punch, as Anderson put a high-quality shot past SDSU goalkeeper Kailey Carlen to give Boise State a lead they would not relinquish. It marked the Aztecs’ first Mountain West home loss in three years.
The match was not without some controversy, as there seemed to be a couple of fouls that went uncalled leading up to Anderson’s second goal.
“There [were] two fouls that we challenged, it seemed pretty clear to us,” Friesen said. “The same player [getting] her feet kicked out from under and kicked in the head, so I don’t know how much else you can do … it is what it is.”
SDSU is determined not to let one bad result change the momentum of the season, especially with three of the final four games being played at home before they head to the Mountain West Tournament.
“I think we’re [going to] come back stronger and I’m excited for the next four,” Fuller said.
As the Aztecs head into the stretch run that will determine their seeding in the Mountain West Tournament, Friesen encourages the fan base to come out and support their team.
“As many fans as we can get out to support the team, we’re going to need it,” Friesen said.
The Aztecs host Utah State on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 12 p.m. as they look to begin a new home unbeaten streak.
