The Chico State women’s soccer team struck early and never looked back, defeating San Francisco State 2-1 after scoring twice in the first 20 minutes of the match.
The Wildcats now sit on top of the CCAA standings, in first place with a 4-2 conference record and 12 points.
When the whistle blew signaling the start of the match, the ‘Cats wasted no time, taking their first shot at the four-minute mark. With a new offense to run, the ‘Cats also played with a newfound confidence, controlling the flow of the game right from the start.
“The past couple weeks we’ve been trying to play a new formation,” senior forward Jiana Martin said. “We’ve been playing a 4-4-2, which is more offensive-minded and dominant; it’s been really good for us.”
A 4-4-2 formation includes four defenders, four midfielders and two forwards, which works great for counterattacks and aggressive play on both sides of the ball.
The ‘Cats new formation quickly proved its effectiveness as Martin earned a penalty kick in the 8th minute. Sophomore defender Gabby Starr took the kick for the ‘Cats, confident in her shooting abilities.
“I’ve been telling Jiana for a while, if you get a pk, can I have it?” Starr said. “She agreed, and today I finally got to take one and it worked out.”
Their choice worked out as the eager Starr slammed the ball into the back of the net, scoring for her team and earning the early lead.
After a brief celebration, the ‘Cats locked back in, not satisfied with just one score.
In the 18th minute, Martin found herself back in the middle of the action, dashing on a midfield fast break after collecting the ball.
Facing down the Gators goalkeeper, Martin stuck the ball towards the high middle of the goal, fooling the goalkeeper and finding the back of the net for a second Wildcat score.
“Honestly, I took an okay first touch, but then I had a breakaway chance. I tried to stay as calm as I possibly could,” Martin said, reliving the moment. “It can be pretty daunting when you’re 1v1 with the keeper, but I just took a deep breath, focused on the ball and tried to shoot it at the right time.”
Martin’s goal ended the scoring for the ‘Cats, but they stayed aggressive, taking eight shots on goal and staying in control of the ball for most of the game.
On the defensive side, the ‘Cats also dominated, holding the Gators to one late-game goal resulting from their only shot on goal in the match.
“It’s always nice to play with the lead, it helps us play a bit calmer and smarter,” Martin said. “We have some of the best defense in the conference and I’m confident about that, they stay composed and help us keep ball possession so we can score.
With 30 shots and 10 corner kicks, the ‘Cats offense is waking up at the right time, with five more conference games until the postseason begins.
“I absolutely love when we play from ahead, it takes a lot of stress off and we can really grow more as a team because of it,” Starr said. “We can not obsess over some things and then we get to do other things like be more creative with the ball.”
The Wildcats next match is Friday at 7 p.m. against Stanislaus State at Warrior Field.
For information about all Chico State athletics or to keep up with the game live, visit the Wildcat home page, or watch through FloSports.
Aiyana Curry can be reached at [email protected] or [email protected].
