SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco State women's soccer team did what nobody in the conference expected on Sunday afternoon. With a 1-0 victory over visiting Stanislaus State, the Gators – picked to finish last in the CCAA in the preseason coaches poll – became the second team in the league to punch their ticket to the CCAA Women's Soccer Tournament.
- The Gators improve to 8-7-2/6-2-2 CCAA while the Warriors fall to 7-6-3/4-3-3 CCAA. The win guaranteed no lower than a fourth-place finish.
- With 20 points in the conference, SF State momentarily shared first place with Cal State East Bay and currently shares second place with the Pioneers. However, the Pioneers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. Sonoma State moved back into first place with a 3-0 win over CSUEB.
- The Gators will look to secure a first-round bye on Thursday when they host Sonoma State. SF State will need help from Stanislaus State, who will be fighting for a playoff spot of its own versus Cal State East Bay.
- The Gators held a slight 10-9 shot advantage. Both teams attempted eight shots on goal.
- Stan State held a 4-3 corner kick advantage.
The two teams had early opportunities. Stan State's Anisa Saechao had a shot saved in the fifth minute and the Gators' first shot on goal game in the 13th minute. The Warriors had three more shots saved before
Glory Smith scored at the other end in the 34th minute. A ball from the right side was touched by a Warriors defender but Smith settled the ball and booted a left-footer inside the far post.
In the 52nd minute, the Warriors had a scoring opportunity and goal both waived off after being flagged offside. In the 65th minute,
Alyna Flores nearly doubled the lead by had her shot saved by a charging goalkeeper.
Marcella Salyer matched a season-high eight saves and earned the victory for the Gators, including a jumping save in the 69th minute and a diving stop with just two minutes remaining. Amanda Leal made seven saves for the Warriors.
"The team responded really well to Friday's disappointment. An absolutely quality goal by
Glory Smith, and just well worked by everyone," said Head Coach
John DeMartini. "I can't speak highly enough of how much effort these women put into everything we do. They've done an amazing job from the bench to the starters."
The Gators host first-place Sonoma State on Thursday, November 4 in a 2 p.m. match. That is also Senior Day and the team's seniors – Sommer Harrington, Daesha Harper, Ileana Mercado, Nathalie Munguia, Obioma Onejeme, and Glory Smith – will be honored in a pregame ceremony. The match will be broadcast live on the CCAA Network with live stats available at sfstategators.com. Updates will also be available on Twitter at @sfstate_wsoc.
