Photo by Scot Swan/The Runner
Reporter
The CSU Bakersfield women’s soccer team fell in the final game of its non-conference schedule with a 3-1 loss against the UC Riverside Highlanders on Sep. 24 at the Main Soccer Field.
The Roadrunners dropped to 5-7 and have lost their last four games.
“We felt we could get above .500 or .500 in non-conference but we just fell short of that goal,” said CSUB Head Coach Gary Curneen. “We’re at a stage where we need to take it to phase two in level of stepping up against good teams and phase two in terms of what if the other teams does this, what are we going to do?”
The Highlanders (3-7-2) jumped out to an early lead. UC Riverside scored its first goal only three minutes into the game.
At the 2:15 minute mark, the Highlanders’ senior forward Ashley Webb buried a cross from the right side into the left side of the net. Junior forward Nerisse Bugho assisted on the play.
Webb also assisted the second goal as she crossed the ball from the right side to junior midfielder Quincey Quezada at the 22:32 mark of the first half.
“That was just a bad 45 minutes and I would give a lot of credit to Riverside in terms of their preparation,” said Curneen. “They tried to put us into certain areas and then hit us on the counterattack very, very well.”
The Highlanders’ took a 3-0 lead when junior midfielder Madeline Feist took a shot after a short pass from a corner kick at the 32:39 mark. Freshman defender Makenna Herrero was credited with the assist.
The lone goal for the Roadrunners was scored by sophomore midfielder Sophie Freeman. She managed to get a header into the back of the net off a free kick from junior midfielder Sabrina Delgado.
“It’s my first goal of the season so it was a relief more than anything,” said Freeman. “It would have been better if we would have come out with a win.”
The Highlanders outshot the Roadrunners 18-10.
CSUB failed to attempt a corner in the loss.
Up next, CSUB is scheduled to travel to Las Cruces, New Mexico to take on New Mexico State University at 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6. On Sunday, Oct. 8, the Roadrunners will take on the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. at 11 a.m. in Edinburg, Texas.
The next home game for CSUB is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. against the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
