Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Cal Poly
Bulldogs Give Up Lead Early, Fall 4-0
9/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 6, 2015
By Jason Kelm
jakelm@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. -- The Fresno State soccer team gave up three early goals against Cal Poly (2-2-2) and could not catch up on Sunday night, dropping the game 4-0 at the Soccer and Lacrosse Field in front of over 1,300 fans.
The Mustangs scored three goals in the first seven minutes of the match by three different players, but the Bulldogs (0-6-0) held Cal Poly scoreless over the next 74 minutes.
"We were just flat and we got caught off guard with a couple of early crosses and some mishandling of a couple of those crosses and unfortunately the ball bounced to an opportunist striker and all of a sudden we were straight down from the get-go," Fresno State head coach Brian Zwaschka said.
Bulldog freshman goalkeeper Nicole Theroux played the first half, making one save. Sophomore goalkeeper Domenique Banta played the second half of the match, making four saves while allowing one goal with nine minutes remaining in the game.
After allowing the initial goals, Zwaschka made some substitutions who had an immediate impact.
"The most positive thing was the idea that the people who came off the bench were tremendous," Zwaschka said. "It was too little too late because had we had the energy from our bench from the get-go, I think it would've been a completely different score line."
Senior team captain Fanny Johansson played from the defender position, yet was all over the field as she had two shots on goal and provided a spark that got the team back on track.
"It's certainly what you expect from your seniors and from your captain," Zwaschka added. "Her energy is boundless and I wish we could take more advantage of it. It was great that the bench came in and matched that and that freed her up so she could get forward quite a bit more."
Through the rough start, the team has stayed optimistic as it nears conference play. A strong showing by the Red Wave has contributed to that optimism as over 2,000 fans showed up to support the Bulldogs this weekend.
"It felt great," Johansson said. "There was a great atmosphere, we heard a lot of cheering and chanting which gave us a lot of energy on the field."
What's Next
Join the Bulldogs for Heroes Night as they host the Pacific Tigers (1-4-0) on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Soccer and Lacrosse Field. All military, veterans and first responders will be honored, along with halftime recognition of members of the Wounded Warriors Project. The national anthem will be sung live before the match.
"Be Bold" -- Stay connected with the Bulldogs on Facebook (Fresno State Athletics), Instagram (FresnoStateAthletics), Twitter (@FSAthletics) and Snapchat (FSAthletics).
