Last Thursday, the Fresno State women’s soccer team celebrated senior day in the game against San José State. Before the game started, one side of the field had the Bulldogs raising their drink up in the air and the other side had framed portraits, balloons and flowers in honor of one senior: Robyn McCarthy.

McCarthy wasn’t sure if she was going to utilize her extra year of eligibility. But as she enters her fifth and final year as a Bulldog defender, the choice she made was clear.

“I decided [to stay] because I wasn’t ready to leave,” McCarthy said. “Honestly, I think this last year helped me grow and it helped me in school also, but I knew this team was going to be special. We still are and I hope it continues.”

After the ‘Dogs defeated the Spartans 3-1 at the Fresno State Soccer Stadium, they finished second overall in the Mountain West conference and are now heading to Boise to make a championship run in the Mountain West soccer tournament.

This victory is sweeter for the ‘Dogs with it being senior day, or as head coach Brian Zwaschka said, “Robyn Day.” 

“[McCarthy] is a great role model on and off the field,” Zwaschka said. “And, you know, it’s like her leadership for me. It’s the team and, you know, her decision making and her desire to be good… We see it influence her peers all the time.”

Coming from Brentwood, California, the transition into Fresno was not easy for McCarthy. Her biological family decided to relocate to Utah, and she stayed with Karla and Jorge Villaseñor, close family friends she met in Brentwood. Having a second family close by helped her feel comfortable living in California.

Staying at Fresno State paid off for McCarthy. Five years later, she earned All-Mountain West First Team and led the team in minutes played the past two seasons. 

Her parents, Regina and Timothy McCarthy, talked about how much she has grown as a person in those five years. Driving from Utah, they try to attend all of her games. 

Regina said Thursday’s game was bittersweet because it is her final season, and they are going to miss watching their daughter play soccer at Fresno State. But they are proud of Robyn’s career and her commitment to education. 

“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet what’s, you know, goin on,” Timothy said. “Starting to realize that you know Robyn’s there. Her end getting near and I’m thinking of, you know, ‘What’s her next chapter in life’… I think she’s a bright girl who can go up in places.”

Timothy also explained how Robyn’s grown more confident. In her first years at Fresno State, Robyn’s parents were worried as they moved from California to Utah, leaving their daughter alone in college. But as time went on, they felt like Robyn was capable of handling anything life throws at her on her own.

“She can handle life,” Regina said. “There’s always ups and downs, but she’s the person that can always come up and rise and be successful.”

Timothy and Regina said the ‘Dogs’ success this season was no surprise to them. Fresno State ranks second in the Mountain West conference. They talked about Robyn’s love for her teammates and her ability to guide them to whatever they need help in. 

“She’s by far been one of the best leaders I’ve ever had on a team. And just having her as a person to look up to as a sophomore has been awesome,” said Bulldog forward Brooklyn Woolfe. “And even coming into the program. She made it so inviting. She had open arms so I think it means a lot to her too, because this is her last time playing here. And it’s freakin’ awesome that we got [win] for her tonight.”

Woolfe scored her first goal for Fresno State in Thursday’s game against San José State.

Both teams started the game aggressively on offense. The Spartans took the first shot in the 2nd minute, but it went off target. The Bulldogs responded with two shot attempts, but both missed the net due to a tough Spartan defense.

McCarthy almost recorded another assist this season with a toss from out of bounds. With almost eight minutes into the game, the pass went directly to the head of a Bulldog attacker, but the shot was off target. 

It wasn’t until the 14th minute where ‘Dog forward Kassandra Ceja put Fresno State on the board with an early 1-0 lead. Ceja is second in the Mountain West conference in goals made. She also ranks No. 3 in game-winning goals and points and No. 9 in assists. 

The rest of the first half went back-and-forth. Fresno State kept the lead at halftime but dominated both ends of the field into the second half.

The ‘Dogs energy was unmatched as they fed off the energetic home atmosphere. After another Fresno State goal from Kaelyn Miller, the team burst into cheers, chanting “Miller time!.” Fresno State led 2-0 in the 52nd minute.

Woolfe increased the lead 3-0 from an assist from Jaylyn Wright.

“Our finishing was better,” Zwaschka said. “But I think the recognition of just winning balls, and, you know, all those little details — because they happen multiple times across the game — was a real concentration point.”

The Spartans tried to make a comeback, but their first goal came with less than a minute left in the game. The Bulldogs secured their 3-1 victory. 

Fresno State travels to Boise, Idaho, to compete in the Mountain West women’s soccer championship. Its next matchup is against Boise State on Thursday, Nov. 4, at 2 p.m.