Chico State women’s soccer team snagged a 5-0 win, their first win of the year, over the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs. The game took place on Aug. 26 on the ‘Cats home field, in their first exhibition game.

Carlie Reader scored the first goal of the season for the ‘Cats, and her fourth of her collegiate career. Reader also netted the second goal of the game and earned an assist in the first half.

Chico State remained on the offensive for the majority of the first half by taking 14 shots and scoring four goals. The Banana Slugs had five saves in the first half, but were unable to take a shot.

UC Santa Cruz attempted their first shot in the beginning of the second half, but were still unable to become a dominating force on offense. They were forced to make four more saves in the game. The ‘Cats only attempted one save in the second half and stuck with their aggressive play during the game.

Chico State took shots early and kept control of the ball throughout the game. The Wildcats attempted a total of 26 shots, while the Banana Slugs only attempted seven.

Despite taking an early lead, Chico State continued their aggressive play, and they were able to score their final goal with four minutes remaining. The 5-0 win shows the experience the sophomores have gained since last season.

The ‘Cats will be playing their final exhibition game of the year on Aug. 28 against the Academy of Art.

Chico State will start its regular season on Sept. 1 against Cal Baptist University, and will begin league on Sept. 16 against San Francisco State University.

Gabriel Moreno can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @GabeSports3.