When Lorena Montanes was stuck in her home country of Spain due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she dedicated her free time to improving one area she never really focused on, finishing.
Montanes described herself to be a playmaker, being able to control the ball in the midfield while also finding ways of connecting passes with her teammates. But that goalscorer mentality really never came to mind first.
But on Saturday afternoon, she showed flashes of the work she’s put in during the extended offseason by recording a goal and an assist in Fresno State’s 3-1 season finale victory over San José State.
“It feels really good to score,” Montanes said. “I’m glad that the stuff I worked on has really reflected in my performance.”
The Bulldogs were undefeated at home, finishing with an overall record of 6-3-1.
Fresno State had three shots on goal in the first 30 minutes of the game but SJSU goalkeeper Zoe Aguirre made the save on all of those scoring opportunities.
Fresno State head coach Brian Zwaschka said that the Bulldogs were still adapting to SJSU’s unique style of playing in the first position of the game.
“The structure of their system, they put a lot more players forward so obviously that keeps pressure on your team when you’re trying to build and keep the ball,” Zwaschka said.
But once the Bulldogs figured that out, the momentum of the game shifted their way.
Fresno State finally got on the board in the 37th minute. After receiving a ball from Kylie Lucero, forward Jordan Brown took a shot but it was deflected high up in the air. That’s where Montanes found the ball and crossed it into the box where she found Katie Dohnel, who finished it with a header to make it 1-0.
Just nine minutes later, the Bulldogs added to their lead. Forward Ele Avery used her footwork to get past defenders in the left-wing of the field. She connected a pass to Lucero, who set Montanes for the one-time volley. Montates’ shot went past SJSU’s Aguirre to put Fresno State up 2-0 right before halftime.
“It’s one of those plays you don’t think about,” Montanes said. “I was just glad to score and be able to contribute to the team’s victory.”
The Bulldogs added more insurance in the 68th minute. Kayla King sent a ball from beyond the midfield. It appeared like the pass was going to be intercepted by SJSU defender Karlee Pottorff, but she could not control the ball. Subsequently, Fresno State’s Brown took the rebound and dribbled it up the field before connecting with Avery, where she scored her last goal of her career as a Bulldog.
With Fresno State allowing players to select friends and family to attend the games, Avery was able to score and celebrate her senior night with her family.
“I finally got in the back of the net and it’s always just the best feeling to see that,” Avery said. “Man, it was just so special, being able to look up and see my parents, my family and just, it was just amazing. It’s just so heartwarming.”
SJSU got on the board when Pottorff shot a ball past Fresno State goalkeeper Briana O’Dell, ending the team’s clean sheet with less than two minutes left in the game.
Normally, there would be a Mountain West (MW) tournament played after the regular season. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MW decided to only have the top teams of each division to play in the championship.
The Bulldogs had a hot start at the beginning, going 3-0 for the first time since 2006. But they went 0-3-1 on the road during the middle of the season, in which they loss to first place San Diego State.
“You know when we reflect on the season as a whole, we’re of course disappointed in our road form,” Zwaschka said. “With all that behind us, we’re proud that we put together a really good final game, particularly for our seniors.”