Complete Weekly Release: Sacramento State Game Notes
SACRAMENTO -- An unbeaten Pac-12 power and a fourth match against a Big West Conference foe to close out non-conference play highlights the week for the Sacramento State women's soccer team, which hosts Washington on Thursday (Sept. 15) before making a return trip to Southern California to take on CSU Bakersfield on Sunday (Sept. 18).
THIS WEEK…
MATCH #8
WHAT: No. 22 Washington (5-0-2) at Sacramento State (0-5-2)
WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022
TIME: 4 p.m.
WHERE: Sacramento, Calif.
STADIUM: Hornet Soccer Field
WATCH: ESPN+ (TBA)
LIVE STATS: HornetStats.com
TICKETS: HornetSports.com
MATCH #9
WHAT: Sacramento State (0-5-2) at CSU Bakersfield (2-5)
WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022
TIME: 4 p.m.
WHERE: Sacramento, Calif.
STADIUM: Hornet Soccer Field
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: GoRunners.com
IN THE POLLS: Washington enters the week ranked No. 22 according to the Sept. 13 United Soccer Coaches poll... The Huskies are the second nationally ranked opponent for Sacramento State this year after the Hornets opened against then-No. 21 Stanford (which is now No. 9 in this week's poll)... Sacramento State and CSU Bakersfield are unranked.
BE A FOLLOWER: Fans can keep up with the latest in Sacramento State athletics by following us on Facebook (/SacramentoStateAthletics), Twitter (@HornetSports), and Instagram (@sacstateathletics). You can also follow the Hornets' women's soccer program on all three platforms: Instagram (@sacstatewsoccer), Twitter (@sacstatewsoccer), and Facebook (/sacstatewsoccer).
WE'LL DO IT LIVE!: Both of this week's matches will be streamed live on the ESPN+ subscription platform. Links to watch and for live stats for all matches throughout the season will be posted, as soon as they are available, on the women's soccer schedule page at HornetSports.com.
O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAINS!: The Hornets have named their captains for the 2022 season as senior Aubrey Goodwill has been joined by juniors Shylah Soon and Isabella Vinsonhaler.
THE HORNETS, QUICKLY: Sacramento State returns eight starters and 18 letter winners overall off of last season's squad that finished 5-12-2 overall and 3-6 in the Big Sky Conference, but reached the semifinals of the league tournament following a first-round upset of Northern Arizona as the No. 6 seed. Three of the team's top five scorers return, led by sophomore Abigail Lopez, a second-team All-Big Sky selection who paced the Hornets with 10 points on four goals and a pair of assists. First-team all-league honorees Jasmyne Dunn and Aubrey Goodwill, along with second-team selection Danna Restom, also return. In net, goalkeeper Mia Shalit is the incumbent after splitting time with the departed Katie Price, posting a 1.88 goals against average, 55 saves, and a .743 save percentage, in 10 starts.
SCOUTING WASHINGTON: The Huskies enter the week with a 5-0-2 overall record, coming off a 1-1 draw at Portland in their only match last week... Washington has outscored its opposition by a combined 20-3 count, holding opponents to 32 shots over seven matches... 11 different players have scored goals led by four apiece from fifth-year senior Karlee Stueckle and junior Hailey Still... Fifth-year senior Summer Yates leads the squad with four assists... Graduate student goalkeeper Olivia Sekany has started all seven matches in net, allowing just three goals (0.52 goals against) and forced into making only seven saves with two shutouts.
SERIES NOTES: This will be the first-ever meeting between Sacramento State and Washington in women's soccer.
SCOUTING CSU BAKERSFIELD: The Roadrunners enter the week with a 2-5 overall record and will host CSUN on Thursday (Sept. 15) before welcoming the Hornets... Bakersfield split its two matches last weekend, defeating Northern Arizona (2-1) before falling to Boise State (5-1)... Junior midfielder Regielly Halldorsdottir leads the team with three goals and six points on nine shot attempts... Junior goalkeeper Hollee Hercik has started six of the seven matches in net, posting a 2.33 goals against average and 30 saves (.682 save percentage).
SERIES NOTES: Sacramento State leads the all-time series with CSU Bakersfield by an 8-1-1 count following a 1-1 draw in California's capital in 2021 -- the only overtime contest in the history of the series... The draw extended an unbeaten run for the Hornets against the Roadrunners to seven consecutive matches dating back to a 2-1 loss on a neutral in 2010... During its unbeaten run, Sacramento State has outscored CSU Bakersfield, 16-6, scoring multiple goals in six of those seven matches... All time, the Hornets hold a 24-7 scoring advantage in the series... Sacramento State is a perfect 5-0 against CSU Bakersfield on the road, outscoring the Roadrunners 15-4 in those five victories.
CONFERENCE CALL: Sacramento State has faced nine of the current 12 members of the Pac-12, having faced all but UCLA, Colorado, and Washington... The Hornets are a combined 7-17-2 against the Pac-12 following a loss to then-No. 21 Stanford to open the 2022 season, with three of those seven wins coming against Oregon State... Sacramento State is winless in its last four against Pac-12 opponents dating back to a 1-0 upset of No. 10 California on Oct. 2, 2009... Sacramento State has faced all but one school in the current Big West women's soccer alignment, missing only league newcomer UC San Diego... The Hornets are 25-49-10 all-time against Big West foes... Sacramento State is 0-4-3 in its last seven against Big West schools dating back to a 2-0 win at CSU Bakersfield in 2019... The Hornets are 0-1-2 this year against Big West opponents, falling to Cal Poly while tying UC Santa Barbara and Causeway rival UC Davis.
WELCOME BACK!: Two Hornets made their 2022 season debuts during the team's trip to Southern California last weekend as Danna Restom and Erika Tilford made their first appearances of the season in the green and gold against California Baptist. Restom appeared in 33 minutes while Tilford played 29 minutes as reserves against the Lancers
HELLO, MY NAME IS...: Sacramento State has added a player to the 2022 roster, welcoming defender Briana Pardo to the green and gold. Pardo, a Sacramento native who prepped at Inderkum HS, was a three-year letter winner for the Tigers after playing her freshman year at Natomas HS, twice earning All-Capital Valley Conference honors and starting every match over her last two prep seasons.
ON THE SPOT: Three of the Hornets' four goals thus far this season have come from the penalty spot as Sacramento State hasn't scored from the run of play since Abigail Lopez's first goal of the year in the ninth minute at Pacific on Aug. 21.
RUN AWAY!: When you see Lopez in the box, its best you stay away from her. The sophomore has been adept at getting the attention of the officials this year, drawing the foul in the box that has led to two of the Hornets' three penalties this year against Pacific and UC Davis. Jordan Goularte is responsible for the third after being taken down in the box by a UC Santa Barbara defender that led to Lopez's third goal of the season.
PKs ARE OK: Senior Aubrey Goodwill finally got into the scoring column in a familiar way during the Hornets' 1-1 draw with Causeway rival UC Davis, netting the equalizer on a penalty kick in the 20th minute back on Sept. 1 at home. It was Goodwill's sixth career make from the spot, extending her career record over Lopez, Katie McCoy (2004-07), and Rebecca Phillips (2004-05, 2006-07), who have two apiece.
GOODWILL HUNTING: Entering the season ranked tied for third on the school's all-time list with 13 career assists, Goodwill broke a three-way tie and grabbed hold of the spot all by her lonesome with her 14th career assist at Pacific on Aug. 21. The 14 career helpers (to go along with seven career goals -- six of those from the penalty spot) put Goodwill just eight helpers back of record-holder Katie McCoy, who collected 22 career assists from 2004-07.
AND A LOPEZ SHALL LEAD THEM: Sophomore Abigail Lopez has embraced the role that comes with wearing the No. 10 jersey in 2022, accounting for three of the Hornets' four scores thus far this season, including her third goal in as many matches in Sacramento State's 1-1 draw with UC Santa Barbara on Aug. 25. Entering the week, Lopez is tied for fourth in the Big Sky Conference in goals (three), tied for sixth in points (six), and tied for fourth in points per match (1.00). Lopez's three goals are just one shy of her freshman year total when she led the team with four goals and 10 points overall.
SAVING THE DAY: Junior goalkeeper Mia Shalit continues to add to her "save"-ings account this season as her 38 stops between the pipes and her 5.43 saves per game rank second and first, respectively, in the Big Sky Conference as of Sept. 12 and rank No. 27 and No. 36, respectively, in the NCAA entering the week. She also stands No. 6 in the league with a .691 save percentage and is one of three conference keepers with at least 10 saves in a match this year.
MAMA MIA!!!: Off to a busy start to the 2022 campaign, Shalit had quite a night against No. 21 Stanford in the Hornets' season opener, finishing with a career-high 15 saves -- including 10 of those in the second half -- while facing 37 shots by the Cardinal. It marked Shalit's second career double-digit save performance in the green and gold after stopping 11 shots against Saint Mary's in the 2021 season opener.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE A RECORD: Well, it was close. Shalit's 15-save performance ranked second on the school's single-match list, trailing only Dawn Anderson's 20 stops against Pacific in 1995, while the total was the highest by a Big Sky Conference goalkeeper since Southern Utah's Isabella Whitmore had 19 stops against UNLV on Nov. 3, 2019. Nationally, as of Sept. 12, Shalit's 15 saves are tied for the eighth-highest single-match total in the NCAA this year, trailing Ashley Maribo of Delaware State, who had 23 against Robert Morris on Sept. 8.
PRESEASON PICKS...: Sacramento State was picked to finish sixth in the Big Sky Conference according to a vote of the league's head coaches released on Aug. 11, receiving 30 points to stand just ahead of Eastern Washington (26) and just behind Idaho (35). Reigning regular season champ Northern Colorado picked up six first-place votes and was picked atop the poll with 61 points, edging out tournament champ Montana, which was second with 54 points overall and a pair of first-place votes. Weber State received the final first-place vote and was third with 51 points followed by Northern Arizona (43) and the Vandals in the top five.
THE STUDENTS HAVE BECOME THE TEACHERS: A pair of Hornet alumnae will make their bench debuts as members of the coaching staff in 2022 as Jennifer Lum (Class of '17) and Danielle Davis (Class of '22) assume the roles of assistant and volunteer assistant coach, respectively. Complete details are available at HornetSports.com.
WHAT I DID LAST SUMMER...: Junior goalkeeper Mia Shalit has herself quite an essay to write when it comes to sharing her summer after the Chula Vista, Calif., native spent most of her "time off" training and competing with the Peruvian Women's National Team. Called into camp in early June, Shalit was one of three goalkeepers to make the final cut and traveled with the team to Columbia for the 2022 CONMEBOL Women's Copa America Tournament where Peru faced off against Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay, and defending champion Brazil. It's not the first international experience for Shalit, who has competed with Peru's various age-group national teams since 2015.
