Finishing off their non-conference games, Chico State Women’s Soccer (5-2) found the back of the goal twice in their victory over the Stanislaus State Warriors Saturday.
The Wildcats found their first goal early in the night, with junior forward, Avery Pieri scoring in the 20th minute, assisted by junior forward Piper Matson.
“We’re definitely gelling a lot,” Pieri said. “We’re gonna keep being able to click and know exactly what everyone else is going to do without even having to look.”
The Wildcats defense was able to keep the Warriors at bay after the early goal. Sophomore goalkeeper, Peyton Johnson notched six saves and had the game-winning save in the 88th minute. Johnson was recently named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Week.
“Our defense is just outstanding, especially after some setbacks we had early in the year, Johnson said. “ “They’ve bounced back incredibly and they’re communicating so well.”
The Wildcats looked like the clear favorites nearing the end of the game, but the Warriors found the goal in the 84th minute, tying the game with only a handful of minutes remaining.
The tie didn’t last long, as the Wildcats immediately roared back, with sophomore midfielder Hannah Pieri, scoring only a minute later, assisted by her sister Avery.
“It was definitely a huge thing for the team to know physically and mentally we can come back from that, even if there’s only minutes left in the game,” Hannah Pieri said.
Hannah and Avery, who are playing together for their second season, feel they are clicking together, and enjoy being able to play on the same team.
The second goal was enough to give the Wildcats a win over the Warriors in their last game of non-conference play. They finished with a respectable 5-2 record, and they look forward to beginning their schedule against CCAA opponents.
The Wildcats are set to face off against Cal State East Bay in their first conference game this Friday at the University Soccer Stadium. The game will start at 4:30 p.m., and you can watch it here.
For information about Chico State Athletics, visit the Wildcats home page.
Nathan Chiochios can be reached at [email protected]
