The Chico State women’s soccer team is going streaking this weekend! The Wildcats are taking their streaks on the road to Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State East Bay, not through the quad or to KFC.
They’ll be in Seaside Friday for a 3 PM matchup against Cal State Monterey Bay, a team they are 13-0-0 against since the Otters joined the NCAA Division II ranks in 2004. Chico State has outscored the Otters 41-5 in those meetings and tallied two or more goals in all but one of those matchups. Last season, Lisa Webster scored a goal in each game as the Wildcats won 2-0 at home and then 4-2 in Seaside. Webster had three assists during Chico State’s season sweep in 2009.
Chico State will be in Hayward Sunday at 2 PM to face Cal State East Bay, a team they boast a 19-match unbeaten streak against. They’re 17-0-2 since the Pioneers last beat them back on Nov. 4, 1989, when the school was still called Cal State Hayward. The Wildcats have outscored them 64-7 since then, but have had to settle for draws in the last two matchups. The teams tied 2-2 in 2009 despite a goal and assist from Webster, and then played to a 0-0 draw last season in Hayward as East Bay goalkeeper Nina Cefalo made 10 saves.
This is a new season, however, and all three squads are attempting to make up ground on Cal State Stanislaus and Sonoma State, which currently occupy the top two spots in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division standings. Chico State is in third place at 2-2 in the CCAA and 2-3-1 overall. Fourth-place Cal State East Bay is also 2-3-1 overall, but 1-2-1 in the CCAA. Cal State Monterey Bay is 2-3 overall and in fifth place at 1-3 in the CCAA.
The Wildcats are coming off a weekend in which they pulled off a 3-1 road victory at nationally-ranked Cal State Dominguez Hills before falling 1-0 at Cal State L.A. Understandably worn out both physically and mentally from playing seven of their first matches of the season on the road, the Wildcats will have to bring the same energy into these matches as they did at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Head Coach Kim Sutton admitted the Wildcats suffered from mental fatigue against Cal State L.A., something they cannot afford this weekend.
Something they can afford, on the other hand, is the continued presence of various goal scorers. Since Webster scored the first two goals of the season, five different Wildcats have found the back of the net. Scotie Walker notched the game winner against Sonoma State, Carly Singer scored against Cal State Stanislaus, and true freshman Alyx Williams and Kasey Wall tallied goals at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
A link to live stats of the match at Cal State Monterey Bay is available at
www.otterathletics.com. Live stats for the match at Cal State East Bay can be accessed at
www.ccaalivestats.com.
After this weekend, the Wildcats will play four straight and six of their final 10 regular season matches at home.