Athletes who do the dirty work seldom get noticed. Offensive linemen, for example, try to prove their worth by wearing hats that say something like: “Linemen win championships.” Molly Downtain, Carly Singer and Blake Lopes don’t need no stinking hats this weekend. Three of the key cogs in the Chico State women’s soccer team’s defensive third that held host Cal State Monterey Bay without a shot on Sunday, also made headlines by getting in on the scoring act in the Wildcats’ 3-0 win.
Singer scored her second goal of the season, assisted by Lopes’ free kick, and then assisted on Downtain’s first goal of the year to make it 2-0. Lisa Webster scored the final goal of the match, making her just the seventh player in the program’s history to amass 50 career points. The fourth-year senior has now scored 17 goals and dished out 16 assists in her career.
The Wildcats improved to 14-0-0 against the Otters since they joined the NCAA in 2004. Chico State has
scored two or more goals in 13 of those matchups and outscored the Otters by a combined 44-5.
Cal State Monterey Bay was never even really close to scoring Friday. The Otters mustered only one corner kick and went without a shot against Chico State’s back third of Downtain, Singer, Shelby Dunlap and Danielle Leiva. Lopes, Denni Jo Berger and Kasey Wall were among the midfielders who controlled play to make the defense’s job easier.
Chico State improved to 3-3-1 overall and 3-2-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) as a result. Cal State Monterey Bay fell to 2-4-0 overall and 1-4-0 in the CCAA.
A foul at the top of the box set up the Wildcats’ first goal 25:09 into the match. With her back to the goal, Lopes touched the free kick to Singer’s right and the sensational sophomore scorched a low laser into the right corner to make it 1-0. That duo combined to set up the next goal 14:22 into the second half. Singer knocked a corner kick short to Lopes running along the end line, and then she swung it back out to Singer. Downtain flexed back as the defense tried to draw her offside and then sprung back toward the goal to get her head on Singer’s ball to the back post for a gorgeous goal that made it 2-0.
Webster’s historic tally came in the 62nd minute. Scotie Walker knocked a long through ball past Monterey Bay’s pressing defense and Webster outran everyone before pushing the ball past the goalkeeper and then into the net for her team-high third goal of the season.
It was the 17th goal of her career. She also has 16 assists, making her one of six players to rank among the school’s career top 10 in both categories. She joins Wendy Cotton (1993-95), Nicky Benson (1992-94), Ginger Frank (1990-93), Amy Swanson (2001-04), Tracy Davis (1987-90) and Leondra May Dodge (1987-90) in the elite 50-point club.
Three of Webster’s goals and three of her assists have come at the expense of Cal State Monterey Bay.
Webster hopes to add to her impressive resume and more importantly lead the Wildcats to victory when they visit Cal State East Bay Sunday at 2 PM. Chico State is 17-0-2 against the Pioneers since they last beat them on Nov. 4, 1989, when the school was still called Cal State Hayward. The Wildcats have outscored Cal State East Bay 64-7 since then, but have had to settle for draws in the last two matchups. They played to a 0-0 draw last season in Hayward as East Bay goalkeeper Nina Cefalo made 10 saves. The year before that, Webster notched a goal and an assist in a 2-2 tie.
If the Chico State defense plays like it did Sunday, another two-goal effort would almost certainly net a victory this time around. Live stats will be available at www.ccaalivestats.com. The Wildcats will finally return home following Sunday’s match to play just their second home match of the season Friday, Oct. 30 at 7 PM against CCAA North Division leader Cal State Stanislaus.
BOX SCORE
