Cal Poly Soccer Wins Physical Second Half Over UR

Sunday, August 30

Charlottesville, Va.

12:00 PM

University of Richmond

1-2-0

Cal Poly

1-1-2

Richmond

Cal Poly

08/30/2015 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Richmond Athletics

Richmond women's soccer got an early goal Sunday, but Cal Poly scored twice in the second half to upend the Spiders 2-1 to conclude the Nike Soccer Classic, hosted by the University of Virginia at Klockner Stadium. The loss drops Richmond to 1-2 overall, giving the Mustangs their first win of the season, at 1-1-2.

The Spiders got on the board quickly with a beautiful buildup for the first goal at the end of the fourth minute. Lindsay Williams (Williamsburg, Virginia / Warhill HS) sent a pass to the left corner of the 18, where it was touched to the middle by senior forward Ashley Riefner (Mechanicsville, Virginia / Atlee HS) to a streaking Meaghan Carrigan (Greenville, South Carolina), who punched it in to the left corner of the net eight yards in front for the opening score of the game. It was her second goal of the weekend and the season, giving Riefner her third assist and Williams her first of the year.

That score held to the half, with the Spiders holding a 9-6 shots advantage.

“I thought we played well in the first, getting that early goal, and controlling the game,” said Richmond head coach Peter Albright. “I thought we let it get away from us in the second half.

The Mustangs built chances in the second, which led to a penalty kick awarded in the 60^th minute, which was scored by Caitlyn Kreutz to tie the game.

A second penalty kick was awarded in the 83^rd minute to Cal Poly, but keeper Katie Brennan (Fairfield, Connecticut) made the save to preserve the tie score in regulation.

After five minutes of gametime, a Spider score off a free kick outside the box was thwarted, leading to a Cal Poly counterattack and a second goal on the breakaway from Kreutz for the deciding goal.

The final foul count was 13-3, as the Mustangs gave up a number of free kicks in the game.

“Credit Cal Poly for keeping possession better in the second half and playing tough, but we felt like we gave this game away," added Albright. "Good teams don't give away a counter attack goal late in the game. We have to be smarter. We have to learn how to have some armor as we mature, but it is just August, so there are things to work on and there is a lot of work left.”

Brennan finished with five saves and took the loss (1-2). Mustangs keeper Alyssa Gianetti had seven saves in the win (1-1-2).

The Spiders will host American University Friday night in the week's lone contest, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. at Robins Stadium.

Carrigan and Brennan were named to the Nike Soccer Classic All-Tournament Team.

NOTES: Both of Carrigan's goals were go-ahead scores this weekend, and Riefner's three assists are the team-leading total... Riefner produced nine assists last season and has 12 career helpers entering this season… Carrigan is the team's active goal-scoring leader, with 16… Williams' assist is her first point of the season… She had a pair of assists last season.