By Yetnaleci Maya, Nov. 2, 2021
On Oct. 29, the CPP women’s soccer team went up against the Humboldt State Lumberjacks, ending in a devastating 1-0 loss for the Broncos. The Broncos had achieved a four-game win streak before the loss against the San Francisco State Gators.
Expecting the team’s preparation to pay off, Head Coach Jay Mason was disappointed with the outcome of the match.
“We had a really good opportunity to put our team in a good position for conference tournaments and potentially NCAA tournament and we just didn’t show up,” said Mason
At the start of the match, both teams utilized aggressive defensive strategies. Neither CSULA nor CPP held an obvious offensive advantage, as the ball hovered over both ends of the field throughout the game, according to Assistant Coach Jackie Bruno.
“The Humboldt defense was pretty tight and pretty narrow so it was kind of difficult for the girls to get on the ball. We encourage them to be a little more creative with their runs and trust the field a little bit more, but Humboldt really came to play,” said Bruno.
With about 10 minutes left of the first half, forward Cassie Snow attempted a direct kick toward the goal, which was blocked by the Lumberjacks’ goalkeeper.
During the second half, both teams increased their display of offensive play. The Broncos attempted a total of 12 shots at the goal while the Lumberjacks made six attempts the entire game.
After multiple scoring attempts from the Broncos, a Lumberjacks forward made a fast break toward the goal, arching the ball over the Broncos’ goalie, Sydney Williams, and scoring for the Lumberjacks with 15 minutes left in the game.
Despite the Broncos’ continuous efforts to balance the score, the final result remained 1-0 by the end of the second half.
Freshman goalkeeper Caitlyn Alexis, expressed the team was looking forward to winning this weekend’s games as a tribute to their seniors. However, the loss did not deter the Broncos’ spirits.
“I know this group is capable of a lot more and being able to sit through this year as a red shirt and watch everyone has definitely given me a lot of perspective,” Alexis said, “Looking up to all the seniors I feel like we should’ve won this one even for them because it is kind of their weekend, but I know as a group that we’ll use this game to empower us against Chico State.”
To watch the Broncos’ games via livestream, including their last CCAA conference match against CSULA on Nov. 4, visit the CCAA Network website or download the CPP Athletics App.
Featured image by Yetnaleci Maya
