Chico State women's soccer coach Kim Sutton said during the preseason that the team's goal would be to get one percent better every day. The fact that she said the improvement was more like 10 percent in Thursday night's home opener took a little of the sting out of the Wildcats' 0-0 draw against Concordia-Portland.
 
The Wildcats (1-1-1) dominated the run of play for much of the match, but couldn't find the winning touch in the final third. On the few occasions they did, Concordia goalkeeper Olivia Brock came up big.
 

Concordia is now 2-0-1 on the season.
 
Chico State out-shot the visitors 15-8. Brock made five saves and Pooja Patel's try toward the near post clanged off of it on another occasion.
 
Wildcats goalkeeper Mackenzie Boulton made one save to notch her second clean sheet in three collegiate starts.
 
Patel and Shelby Lanksbury finished with four shots apiece to lead the Wildcats. Emily Shleppy took three, Carlie Reader two, and Katie Brown and Gabi Story one apiece.
 
Two of the Wildcats' best chances came in the opening half.
 
Shleppy hit a long lazer that looked ticketed for the far upper-V before Brock knocked it up and over the bar in the 18^th minute. And Brown blasted one off of a hard-charging Brock from just 12 yards out. Lanksbury set her up with a beautiful touch pass into the box.
 
The Wildcats' starting back line of Cassi Scroggins, Erin Woods, Brooke Coelho and Jojo Smyth held the Cavaliers without a first-half shot.
 

The true freshman Reader went on a rampage in the second half, consistently beating defenders with the dribble and causing havoc. Those efforts resulted in a number of near misses.
 
The Wildcats, ranked No. 5 in the West Region heading into play on Thursday, are back in action at home on Saturday against Dixie State (2-1-0) at 7 p.m.
 
They Wildcats have allowed just one goal in their first three matches.