By Marissa Scott
Coming off its first win of the season, San Jose State women’s soccer will travel down California to face UC Riverside for its last non-conference matchup.
The last time the Spartans (1-3-2) and the Highlanders (6-0-1) faced was in the 2016 season, where the double-overtime match ended in a scoreless tie.
The Highlanders are off to their best start since 2004 when the team went through their first 12 games without a loss.
UCR junior goalkeeper Annie Bailey has played a big role in the team’s 6-0-1 start. The keeper has 16 saves and has only allowed one goal through 425 minutes of play, which puts her in the No. 9 spot in the nation with a .212 goals-against average.
The team as a whole ranks third in the nation with a .957 save percentage and second in goals-against average by only allowing one goal through seven games.
The Highlander offense is led by senior midfielder Madeline Feist, who holds five of the nine goals scored this season.
Unlike the Highlanders, the Spartan offense has been quiet for much of the season.
Throughout their first six games, the Spartans have only scored three goals, two of which by junior forward Jamilecxth Becerra.
With less than two minutes in SJSU’s last game, freshman defender Hannah Mathews kicked in the only goal of the game to give the team its first win of the season. The late goal could have lit a fire under the team to keep the winning momentum going.
The struggling offense is backed by a solid defense. Spartan goalies have combined for a .833 save percentage and haven’t allowed more than two goals in a single game.
Kick-off is scheduled for 5 p.m.
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