The Stanislaus State Women’s soccer team traveled to CSU Monterey Bay to face the Otters on Sunday, September 24, 2018. The team played two days earlier against the CSU East Bay Pioneers and tied.

The Otters came out strong and found their first, and only, a goal early and controlled the ball during a majority of the game.

The Warriors only made one shot attempt during the first half but stepped up their game by taking six more in the second. Monterey’s defense was strong and made it tough for the Warriors to score.

Many of the parents were sad for their athletes as a result of the game, but Natalie Larson’s dad, Marc Larson, had something to say about the game. “The girls played hard, had a few good attempts, but it just fell short.”

Junior and defender, Sadie Ortiz agreed with Larson. “It was a good fight. We didn’t have the start we wanted and we had to pay for it. We are looking forward now and preparing for games on the road yet again.” She recognized the team’s hard work and its loss. She did both of those without finding someone to place blame on. Ortiz accepted the outcome but is choosing to stay positive by looking to the rest of the season.

Coach Gabriel Bolton had some thoughts on the game as well. “We didn’t come out with the energy and purpose required to win a match at this level. I’m proud that we grew into the game and played well in the second half. But at this level, in our conference, we need to be on for the entire game.”

Despite the loss, one player for the Warrior’s still stuck out with a strong game. Goalie, Alyssa Herrman, had a total of eight saves for the game. Her hard work did not go unnoticed by her head coach, Gabriel Bolton. “Alyssa was fantastic today. She made key saves and was a leader on the field. Her performance was a highlight for us today.”
When Alyssa heard Coach Gabe’s opinion about her performance, she was elated. “Hearing that Coach Gabe said I played well makes me feel very good and accomplished, considering the fact that this was my first full 90 minutes in a conference game. My nerves were high at the beginning of the game but I knew that I was going to do fine when my team and coaches reassured their faith in me. I am happy with the leadership that I provided for my team both physically and mentally and I made very challenging saves which allowed us to continue to fight hard into the 90th minute. I am very proud of the way I played yesterday because I have been waiting a long time for an opportunity like yesterday’s game to come.” 

The Warrior’s will travel to Pomona to face Cal Poly Pomona’s Broncos on Friday, September 28, 2018.