Colorado State soccer beat Fresno State Sunday afternoon to extend its winning streak to five, with a final score of 3-2.
The Rams are undefeated in conference play so far this season with four wins, making CSU the first team to do so in the Mountain West. CSU played a strong offensive game against Fresno, scoring three goals on a whopping 25 shots. The Rams allowed two goals and nine shots from the Bulldogs.
CSU received calls in the second half of the game, with two yellow cards given to Avery Vander Ven and Katy Coffin along with four fouls. The Bulldogs were given two penalty kicks; however, they were only able to capitalize on one. Libby Brooker was able to stop one, which was an anchor point for this game, pushing back a potential comeback for the Bulldogs.
“Penalty kick saves are typically not ones that goalies are supposed to make,” Brooker said. “So it’s kind of just guessing the right way and trusting your training. … I was really happy with that, but the ending of the half was definitely not ideal. We wanted to stay on top with three. A win is a win and I’m proud of the work that the girls put forward today.”
The MVP of the game was Mia Casey, who scored two goals and had one assist. Casey was the focal point of offense, being involved in every scoring play of the game. On top of that, she took six shots during the game.
The offense played almost perfectly all game, finding gaps and space to put the ball to create clear shots and set up potential plays. The Rams communicated well and were able to place the ball well across the field, making it difficult for the Bulldogs to regain possession.
“Our practices are very structured because (coach Keeley Hagen) knows it’s important for all of us to be on the same exact page,” Casey said. “So when we have girls going in line and girls down the left, we talk. Everybody knows where they’re supposed to be. It’s up to the girl with the ball to just put it in the right spot.”
Looking ahead, the Rams will face off against Boise State and Utah State in back-to-back games. Both BSU and USU are undefeated in conference play but have tied once. This will be a real test for CSU and an opportunity to prove they can be the best.
“Certainly (if) you’re winning, the locker room’s going to feel better about themselves,” Hagen said. “We’re just going to try and get better every training session and every game and make adjustments as we go through each different opponent.”
Reach Alex Graser at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter at @AlexGraser5354
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