The Bulldogs women’s soccer team went undefeated during their weekend homestand, defeating the Nevada Wolf Pack 3-1 and UNLV Rebels 1-0.
“We feel really good because we know that we opened both weekends with four tough teams in our conference,” said Fresno State coach Brian Zwaschka. “We were a combination of relieved to be at home, and we’ve been playing really well.”
In the match against Nevada, senior Morgan Castain scored two goals to bring the Bulldogs out of a 1-0 deficit.
Her first goal was in the 23rd minute, when she tapped a ball that bounced off Wolf Pack goalie Kelsey Quintos and into the net. In the 30th minute, Jaycee Bingham took another Quintos deflection, gave it to Shonice Myers, and Myers scored goal 2 to give Fresno State a 2-1 lead.
Castain’s second goal insured the Bulldog lead. In the 56th minute, she took a Bingham pass and placed the ball into the corner of the net for the 3-1 lead.
The Sunday afternoon game against UNLV went the distance, as both teams battled to a 0-0 tie at the end of regulation.
In the ninth minute of overtime, Castain took a cross from Myers and scored the game-winning goal, her third of the weekend.
“She came back with composure and put herself in dangerous positions, though she played a lot of minutes on Friday,” Zwaschka said. “In the clutch, she has shown sharpness and we can’t thank her enough.”
Fresno State goalkeeper Katie DeVault had 11 saves, tying her for second all-time in Bulldog history. She is also second in the Mountain West Conference this season with 62.
“With her being in her third year as a starter for us, you can’t say how important it is for us to have that continuity,” Zwaschka said. “We trust everybody in the back line to do their job and protect her, and it’s her job to make sure they stay organized.
“She’s definitely saved us a few times.”