The Fresno State women’s soccer team (6-8-3) shut out Air Force 2-0 in the final home game of the season on Thursday night at the Bulldog Soccer Stadium as they honored their seniors.

Assistant Head Coach Sean Steele, who stepped in for Head Coach Brian Zwaschka, said the key to the win was sticking to the game plan and the preparation that led up to the victory.

“They’ve got a unique formation that they’re playing, and we spent a few days really trying to shore up and make sure we were clear on our roles and responsibilities, and they executed,” said Steele.

What happened?

Fresno State was aggressive right out the gate as they got three early shots off at Air Force’s goal, but none would give them the lead.

However, Fresno State’s aggressiveness on offense would pay off. Senior forward Haley Espinoza would fight for possession of the ball and pass it into Air Force’s box, deflecting off junior forward Ciara Wilson and into the path of senior forward Kaelyn Miller to give Fresno State the early lead in the 14th minute.

Following the goal, Fresno State refused to settle. They maintained their intensity on both ends of the ball, especially on defense, stifling any chance Air Force had at scoring a goal.

Their strong defense would pay off as Fresno State got another chance at a goal in the 33rd minute as the ball zipped around the field and into the feet of Wilson, but her shot was too high as it soared over the crossbar.

In the 40th minute, freshman midfielder Sam Paepen put a shot on target, which would be saved, but the ball would end up back into Fresno State’s possession. After a couple of passes and a deflection, Paepen’s persistence would pay off as she scored the goal to give Fresno State the lead as they entered halftime up 2-0.

Early in the second half, Air Force would force the issue on offense, but Fresno State held their ground and broke up any attempt at a goal. And to close out the game Fresno State remained disciplined as they passed the ball around the field trying to put the game away, but it wouldn’t lead to a goal as Fresno State won 2-0 against Air Force.

Miller praised the team’s intensity which got the team the win at home and the first win for Steele.

“After how our season’s been going, we just knew we had to come out with a lot of grit, come out for our seniors obviously, come out for Brian since he couldn’t be here and get Sean his first win,” Miller said.

With it being the last home game of the season, Steele showed appreciation to the fans for their continued support throughout the season, no matter the result.

“I put together our senior video and I go through a lot of photos from both our home and our away games, and I’m always amazed how sparse the away game fans are,” Steele said. “Then looking at the pictures of our home fans, it’s amazing that we got such a great group that comes out to support us. We love to see them out here.”

What’s Next?

The ‘Dogs look to extend their win streak at Colorado College on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 12:30 p.m.