Mustang women’s soccer speeds to victory in Big West Conference opener

Elise Krieghoff is off to a historic start. By Owen Main

After a six-game, three week road trip that saw the team go 0-6, the Cal Poly women’s soccer team came into Friday’s match against Long Beach State with some questions about how conference play would go. Elise Krieghoff answered nearly all those questions. In a span of 101 seconds, Krieghoff scored two second-half goals to lead the Mustangs to a 2-0 victory on Friday night.

With the win, Cal Poly moves their record to (5-6-0) overall and (1-0-0) in conference play.

Alyssa Giannetti made four saves in goal in the victory. Cal Poly and Long Beach both had four shots-on-goal. The difference was Krieghoff’s ability to jump on Long Beach’s defensive lapses and put the ball in the back of the net.

Much like women’s basketball, my suspicion is that a strong non-conference schedule is probably a really good thing for a Big West team, even if success in those games isn’t found. In other words,

Krieghoff, who was fourth in the nation with 1.1 goals per match coming into the Friday night contest, saw that number rise to 1.2. She has 13 goals in 11 games, tying her for second all-time in goals in a season. The program record for goals in a season is 15 goals by Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Famer Kolleen Kassis in 1992.

Kassis was the most outstanding offensive player in the 1993 NCAA Division 2 tournament, when the Mustangs lost in the National Championship. Kassis also holds the career goals and points leader in program history with 45 goals and 114 points. A little more than halfway into her sophomore season, Krieghoff has 24 goals and 49 points.

Friday’s women’s soccer match was the first of five games at Alex G. Spanos Stadium within about 48 hours this weekend. The home football game vs. Yale on Saturday is sandwiched between two soccer doubleheaders Friday and Sunday.