The Fresno State women’s soccer team has lost its past four games as the team continues to struggle this season in its home opener. 

The ‘Dogs hosted its home opener Thursday night against Pacific 12 Conference (Pac-12) team Oregon State, ending the game with the score of 2-1 at the Fresno State Soccer Stadium with 562 fans in attendance.  

The Bulldogs finished their 2021 season in a close-game loss due to penalty kicks (PKs) against Boise State in the Mountain West semifinals. They kicked off this season by playing previous Pac-12 team UCLA in an exhibition, losing the game 5-1. 

The University of Washington was the first opponent to take the ‘Dogs on, with the Huskies taking a 3-0 win for the season opener. The Bulldogs then traveled to play Seattle University, where the Redhawks also took the 2-0 win.­

During Thursday’s game, junior Kassandra Ceja broke the no-goal streak of the season in the second half. The Bulldogs struggled to keep the ball out of their 50-yard side during the first half, with the Beavers beating the Bulldogs to every ball with anticipation.

“It felt good to finally break that, you know, not scoring in the first two games of our season,” Ceja said. 

Oregon State took charge on both sides of the field in the first half, dictating how the game was going to go. 

Despite struggling to put a goal in the net for the past two games, Ceja said there was still significant improvement within the team. The Beavers took 23 three shots at the Bulldogs’ goal, with six in the frame and only coming out with two by the last whistle. The Bulldogs shot less than half of the Beavers total, hitting the frame twice, with one of those going in for the first Bulldog. 

“Even though you play at home, sometimes that brings a different set of nerves,” said Brian Zwaschka, head coach of Fresno State Women’s soccer team. 

Zwaschka said that although the team had the home field advantage, the players still faced the uneasiness of playing in front of friends and family again, addressing why they struggled to keep the ball out of their half during the first half.­

“Getting in the attack more is what we need. And being able to score finisher opportunities is definitely going to help us bring that fire up and be able to not score one to score more and actually win these games,” Ceja said. 

In the second half the Bulldogs switched the dynamic of the game by playing 40% of the time within the Beaver’s goal box. 

Having two Pac-12 teams so close to the beginning of the season can play as an advantage for the team in the future, said Zwaschka.  

Zwaschka noted the change in dynamic as the Bulldog’s took the lead in the second half, showing grit during a Pac-12 team. The ‘Dogs took their closest shot to the frame just seconds into the half. 

“We were capable of more than we’ve shown, but we’ve also played against some really good teams, that were probably a little bit further along because of the experience that they have in their teams,” Zwaschka said. 

Aside from its loss against  Oregon State, the team appreciated the Red Wave’s atmosphere, and excitement in the stands rose in the second half from the 562 fans present. 

“The place was rocking and I think everybody was reminded how fun it should be to play here…We made sure to play with everybody today because, again, we were still experimenting a little bit with partnerships. And we’re still looking at a lot of different players in a lot of different positions,” Zwaschka said.­

The team this season created a culture of togetherness and respect for each other, said Zwaschka. While the ‘Dogs are still only 25 days into their season, the players need work on their team chemistry on the field, especially against higher conference teams where small errors can lose them the game. 

“I just feel like we need to put it together more on the field,” Ceja said. 

Ceja also described the team’s dynamic as “positive,” which allows them to hold their teammates accountable and grow throughout the season. 

With no wins this season, the Bulldogs current record stands at 0-3 . The team travels to Long Beach  to take on Long Beach State on Sept. 1. Fresno State returns back home against Pacific University on Sunday, Sept. 4 at 7:00 p.m.