The WSU men’s soccer club defeated the University of California, Santa Cruz, 1-0 in the Cougars’ first game of the three-day West Coast Soccer Association Regional Tournament in Irvine, California.
“The team felt very prepared and excited, it was really a culmination of a whole semesters work to make it here,” midfielder Isaiah Reano said.
The game opened with an offensive burst for both teams, with a flurry of shots on goal throughout the game. Reano would score a quick goal in the first half, putting the Cougs up early.
“Getting an opening goal is always a great feeling! Especially being the game decider makes it even better,” Reano said.
UCSC would not back down as they continued to apply relentless pressure on the Cougs back line. Their high press and sharp passes kept the Cougars scrambling to clear the ball, forcing errors and creating constant threats near the box. A dangerous shot from just outside the penalty area slipped through goalkeeper Scott Stevison’s gloves but right-back and club president Won-Jun Kim, cleared the ball inches from the goal line, protecting the Cougs’ slim lead.
With the 1-0 lead heading into halftime, the momentum was swinging in the Cougs’ favor.
“The first half went really well from the jump,” Reano said. “It felt like we understood the Santa Cruz team relatively quick and were able to take control and find what we needed to do.”
The second half began with UCSC preventing WSU from scoring and keeping possession. Constant Santa Cruz offensive pressure kept Wazzu on their toes.
“Only adjustments came through needing a break from Santa Cruz attacks,” Reano said. “All we needed was to take control of the ball and swing it side to side and force the opposition into chasing with their already tired legs. It was definitely something we have the capability to do and hopefully we will learn from this time and complete that plan to hold out a win confidently and securely in the future”
Despite the constant UCSC pressure putting the Cougs on the defensive and forcing mistake-prone soccer, WSU outlasted the attacks and secured the victory.
“The second half definitely could have gone better,” Reano said. “We took a very defensive and almost nervous approach instead of keeping control and trying to continue dominating against a team we were better than. Overall a good performance at moments but many moments to improve on.”
Prior to a doubleheader on Saturday, Reano said the team needed to continue the momentum it built in the UCSC game to win the doubleheader matchups and make it into the playoffs.
“In tournament scenarios it’s all about staying tight as a team and focused on the game plan throughout the entire time,” Reano said. “It’s easy to lapse in focus after being drained from playing multiple games, but it’s important for all of us to keep our mind on the prize and try and successfully make it out the group and continue in the tournament.”
WSU played CSU Fullerton and UC San Diego on Saturday, with breakdowns of those games and more to come as the tournament continues on and the team looks make the most of its California trip.
