The Chico State Wildcats came out hot in the first half, scoring twice in the first 15 minutes, and were able to hold on and win 2-0 against Western Washington University at the University Stadium.

The first goal came early. In the 8th minute, senior midfielder Noah Ross scored with an assist by junior Miles Rice.

“It’s always great to set the tone early,” Ross said.

They did just that, setting up Rice to score just five minutes later off an assist from Cayden Hotaling, netting his second goal of the season.

While the offense came out strong, they were much less efficient in the second half, with the Vikings shooting five more shots after halftime.

“We needed to keep going and get more goals,” Rice, who led the team in goals last season, said. “We don’t want to relax too much because you can allow them to get back into the game.”

Even though the offense tailed-off in the second half, the defense had a stellar performance, being able to keep a clean sheet throughout the game.

Emanuel Padilla, goalkeeper for the Wildcats, has been a key part of the team’s defense, 

Padilla hasn’t allowed a single goal in the team’s first two games, with six saves on 19 shots faced. 

“We need to keep this momentum going forward if we want to be successful,” Padilla said.

The Wildcats now look forward to playing Simon Fraser University, which they met last year with the Red Leafs winning 1-0. They are set to face off this Thursday at 6 p.m., which you can watch here.

For more information about Chico State Men’s Soccer, or any Chico State Athletics, visit the Wildcats home page.

Nathan Chiochios and Nick Sanders can be reached at [email protected].