'Dogs, Broncos meet in MW semifinal

Thursday, November 4

Boise, Idaho

1 P.M. PT

Fresno State

Boise State

'Dogs, Broncos meet in MW semifinal

11/3/2021 4:35:00 PM | Women's Soccer

FS Notes - MW Tournament

By: Josh Mitchell / Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

THE BREAKDOWN

With its highest seed in the Mountain West Championship, No. 2 seed Fresno State will face tournament host, and No. 6 seed, Boise State on Thursday afternoon. The Broncos are hosting the tournament after winning the 2019 regular season.
The Bulldogs will be playing in their fourth-straight conference tournament. It is the second-longest active streak.
Fresno State is seeking its first Mountain West tournament title and fourth conference tournament championship overall.
Five Bulldogs were honored on Monday with Mountain West postseason accolades, highlighted by Robyn McCarthy being named MW Defensive Player of the Year.

No. 2 Fresno State (9-6-3, 7-3-1 MW) vs. No. 6 Boise State (10-6-3, 4-4-3 MW)
Date: Thursday, Nov. 4
Time: 1 p.m. PT
Where: Boas Soccer Complex (Boise, Idaho)
Live Video: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: Bulldogslive.com

5 PLAYERS, 9 HONORS

Following its highest finish in the Mountain West since 2013, which also saw Fresno State place second in the regular season with 22 points, the Bulldogs earned five All-Mountain West selections, their most since joining the conference. Fifth-year senior Robyn McCarthy earned the squad's highest honor as the center back was selected Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. Joining McCarthy on the All-Mountain First Team are junior transfer Chais Wright and sophomore Kassandra Ceja. Freshman Kaelyn Miller and Sam Tristan earned All-MW Second Team honors. The freshman duo, along with Wright were also selected the league's All-Newcomer Team.

The five All-MW selections were the most for Fresno State in its 10 years in the conference.
The Bulldogs were the only team with multiple selections on the All-Newcomer Team.
The 'Dogs had three of the five newcomers who were selected to the All-MW teams.

TOURNAMENT BOUND...AGAIN
With Fresno State's win at Nevada on Oct. 22, the Bulldogs clinched a spot in the Mountain West Championship. It is Fresno State's fourth straight trip to the conference tournament.

Six days later, Fresno State locked up the No. 2 seed and a bye into next Thursday's semifinals. The No. 2 seed is tied for their highest in the Mountain West, joining the 2013 team which finished 7-2-1.
2021 will mark Fresno State's sixth appearance in the MW's postseason tournament. Following trips to the tournament during their first two seasons in the conference (2012, 2013), the Bulldogs missed the following three before returning in 2017.
The Bulldogs' four-straight MW tournament appearances is tied for the second-longest active streak along with New Mexico. Only Boise State's is longer (5).

A LOOK AT FRESNO STATE CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
While Fresno State is in search of its first Mountain West tournament title, the program won three during its time in the Western Athletic Conference. The Bulldogs' first two came under Steve Stringthorpe in 2005 and 2008. Two years after Stringthorpe's departure, then-second-year head coach Brian Zwaschka led the Bulldogs to their third tournament championship within a six-year stretch.

2-1

In their three matches against the remaining teams in this week's Mountain West Championship, all three of the Bulldogs' matches finished with a 2-1 scoreline with each finishing in regulation. The 'Dogs first defeated Utah State 2-1 on Oct. 8 in its only come-from-behind win of the season. Two days later, in a 1-1 match in Boise, a non-call of a Boise State attacker crashing into Ella Wilson on a corner kick led to the go-ahead goal. A week later in Fresno, a questionable PK awarded an hour in changed the complexion of a match that stood at 0-0 between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the conference, thus forcing a frantic final half hour.

in conference

HITTING ANOTHER LEVEL IN CONFERENCE
Fresno State's offense picked up dramatically in conference play compared to the nonconference portion of its schedule. The Bulldogs scored just 8 goals in 7 nonconference matches, 1.14 goals per game. During conference play, the Bulldogs averaged a league-best 1.81 goals per game despite ranking 11th in MW in total shots.

Of the six teams in the MW that saw their scoring average increase during conference play, the Bulldogs saw the greatest shift, averaging 0.67 more goals per MW match.
In MW play, Fresno State was the only team in the top six in scoring average increase from the nonconference.

EFFICIENCY OVER ALL
Shots are a deceiving stat. The more you get may mean more chances but how good are those chances. Fresno State has took 120 shots in 11 conference matches (56 behind the leader) which ranks 11th in the league. The Bulldogs also sit 11th in shots on target with 49 (24 behind the leader). What matters most, Fresno State has scored a league-best 20 goals in conference.

Fresno State is putting 40.1 percent of its shots on frame.
When it comes to goals, the 'Dogs have scored on a conference-best 16.7 percent of their shots since the start of conference play. Those shots that have been on target, 40.1 percent of those have found the back of the net.

NEWCOMERS NO MORE
The Bulldogs welcomed 11 newcomers to the team this year. Six of those newcomers are in the team's Top 11 in minutes played. Chais Wright (1,563) and Sam Tristan (1,201), Jaylyn Wright (1,174), Jordan Lau (1,054) and Ella Wilson (1,000) have all logged at least 1,000 minutes and has combined for 66 starts.

The newcomers have accounted for 39 of the team's 84 points (46.4%).
31 of those points have come from attacking freshmen Kaelyn Miller (15), Sam Tristan (9) and Jaylyn Wright (7) who sit second, fourth and fifth on the team.
Kansas transfer Chais Wright is tied for the team lead in assists with four. All four of the junior's helpers have come while playing the left back spot.
Freshmen Isabella Anderson and Haley Espinoza each have two assists.

ANCHORING THE WALL
While most teams have one keeper to rely on, the Bulldogs have two who they trust fully. While freshman Ella Wilson has played the most minutes (1,000) and has the only solo shutout, junior Valentina has started every match she has played. The two have helped the 'Dogs post six combined shutouts.

Vivas has started the last 14 matches. After allowing three goals in the opener, she has allowed just three since Sept. 5.

Wilson has played in all 18 matches, earning three starts. During the last 14 matches, Wilson has allowed nine goals but has been under heavy fire compared to Vivas with Wilson facing 88 shots compared to Vivas' 59.

OUR LEADER
When fifth-year senior center back Robyn McCarthy was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, it was no surprise to her teammates. An organizer. A calming presence. McCarthy has seen it all in the Mountain West. During her last four seasons, she has logged 5,992 minutes on the pitch while playing in the last 68 matches, starting the last 46. McCarthy played in just seven games as a true freshman, logging 106 minutes.

McCarthy is the first Bulldog to reach the league's six-team tournament four times in their career.

ONLY A SOPHOMORE

A two-time All-Mountain West First Team selection in her first two years, and neither had been in question. Everyone around the league knows that Kassandra Ceja is one of the most dangerous players in the Mountain West with the ball at her feet. In 28 career games, the sophomore has 12 goals, six assists and 30 points.

After not recording a point during the opening week of conference play, Ceja finished the conference season No. 2 in points (13), No. 2 in goals (5), No. 2 in game-winning goals (2).
On Oct. 4, Ceja was named MW Offensive Player of the Week as she was involved six of the team's eight goals, and scored three goals on just four shots.
In all games, Ceja ranks second in goals (8), first in game-winning goals (3), seventh in assists (4) and third in points (20) in the Mountain West.

WE KNEW WHAT WE HAD
While teams throughout the Mountain West may not have known what Chais Wright would bring to Fresno State this fall, those within the Bulldog program knew. A postseason honor for the Kansas transfer was likely after what the team saw from the left back last spring while she was sitting out due to transferring mid-year. The Kansas City, Mo. native delivered, earning All-Mountain West First Team and All-Newcomer Team honors, stamping her spot as the best left back in the league.

Wright started all 18 matches and played the second-most minutes (1,563) for the Bulldogs this season, while also tying for the team lead in assists with four.

MILLER TIME
Searching for goal scorers during the summer, Fresno State head coach Brian Zwaschka looked to last year's freshman sensation Kassandra Ceja, moving the midfielder up top. While Ceja hasn't disappointed in her second season, coming on in conference play to join her has been an overlooked freshman from Northern California--Kaelyn Miller. Underrecruited, the Bulldogs looked to have struck gold as the freshman has continued to grow her game and her production since stepping on campus, resulting in All-Mountain West Second Team and All-Newcomer Team honors.

In league play, Miller led the conference in goals (6) and game-winning goals (3) and was third in points with 13. Her six goals came on just 12 shots.
Miller is 1 of 4 freshmen in Mountain West history to lead the conference in goals in MW games. She is the first one not to be named Newcomer Of The Year/Freshman of the Year.
Miller recorded her first career game-winner on Oct. 14, scoring with just two-and-half minutes remaining in the second overtime in a scoreless game against San Diego State.
The freshman has scored in four of the last five matches with three of those being game-winners.

REPRESENTING FOR HER HOME
Following a decorated career at Clovis High School, Fresno native Sam Tristan chose to stay home and play for Fresno State. Strong on the ball, the creative midfielder has produced, recording three goals and three assists on the year. Tristan joined Miller on both the All-Mountain West Second Team and All-Newcomer Team.

In conference play, Tristan was 1 of 2 freshmen midfielders to record at least six points.

SCOUTING BOISE STATE

The Broncos holds the league's longest active streak of making the conference tournament (5), one ahead of Fresno State and New Mexico.
The Broncos grabbed seven points in their last three regular season games, and saw a UNLV loss on the final day earn them the final spot in the tournament.
Boise State's offense ranked in the middle of pack during the conference season, ranking fifth in goals (14), sixth in goals allowed (13) and fourth in scoring margin (0.09).
Sydney Smith started eight of the Broncos's 11 conference matches along their tournament opener. She has allowed 10 goals with two shutouts.
Five Broncos have found the back of the net on at least three times this season with Keile Hansen scoring a team-high five goals.

SERIES HISTORY

Fresno State holds a slight advantage all-time against the Broncos with an 11-11-2 record in the series.
The Bulldogs are 3-2 in the last four matches.
Since 2009, the 'Dogs and Broncos have played 15 times, 11 of those finished 2-1 with Boise State holding an 8-3 advantage in those games.
Fresno State and Boise State have only met once in the Mountain West Championship, with the Broncos winning 2-1 in overtime in 2013 while the Bulldogs were the No. 2 seed.

"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.

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