Dixie State University women’s soccer shut down Cal Poly Pomona with 3-0 victory Saturday night.
In the opening minutes, DSU seemed to be on its heels as Cal Poly had most of the offensive possession, but the Red Storm countered with quick breaks down the field.
This led to DSU gaining the momentum with the first goal of the game. Scoring the goal was Jasmine Arollo, a junior from Glendale, Arizona.
She got past the defensive back and received the ball 20 yards from the goal. After a quick cut back to her left foot, she powered the shot into the corner of the net.
DSU held tight defensively after gaining the lead behind the efforts of defender Emily Fox, a senior from Lehi, and goalkeeper Stacie Gubler, a junior from Las Vegas.
Gubler made a crucial diving stop from a shot in traffic after a Cal Poly corner kick.
“Our defense played great,” head coach Kacey Bingham said. “Emily Fox played outstanding. She is our senior captain, and there’s nothing you want more than a performance like that.”
Fox made a big stop for the Red Storm in the 34th minute when she was the only player between the Cal Poly forward and the keeper.
The defense contained Cal Poly’s quick attacks with only a few errors coming from apparent miscommunication.
“We need to work on our communication in the midfield,” Fox said. “We had a tough time marking up with these guys in the midfield.”
The tables turned as DSU gained most of the offensive possession while Cal Poly countered. The first half ended with the Red Storm up 1-0.
The second half was controlled by DSU with strong defense and a high-pressure offense.
DSU benefited from its set pieces, scoring twice from corner kicks. Jennifer Mason, a senior accounting major from Springville, connected on both goals. She directed the first in off her body and got the second definitively with her head.
“It felt really good,” Mason said. “We have been practicing our set pieces, and it felt good to actually get a couple to go in.”
The offense organized well in the second half and kept the attack going throughout the game.
“We got robbed of some opportunities early in the second half,” Bingham said. “So it was good to get back in and redeem ourselves.”
After the shutout victory Saturday evening, the Red Storm women take their talents on the road next week, squaring off against Cal State University, Los Angeles on Sept. 11 at 6 p.m.
