Box Score SANTA CRUZ (9-23) - UC Santa Cruz used three first half goals to defeat the Mills Cyclones 4-0 to start their two-match homestand.
Both teams lost their last match. The Banana Slugs lost 5-0 to Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park yesterday while the Cyclones lost to NAIA opponent La Sierra University 5-0 on September 15th in Oakland.
In the first half, the Banana Slugs would get on the scoreboard first. Olivia Stewart would score off a pass from Kathy Delacruz Cerros with 35:45 left in the half to give the Banana Slugs a 1-0 lead. With 28:33 left in the half, Emma Wilson scored off a pass from Abby Schmalz to extend the Banana Slug lead to 2-0. A little over two minutes later, Wilson would dribble around Mills goalie Madison Cantrell and give the Banana Slugs a 3-0 lead. Cerros had the last shot of the half with 1:17 left, but her shot was saved by Cantrell. The Banana Slugs led 3-0 at the halftime intermission.
In the second half, the Banana Slugs would extend their lead. With 33:29 left, Cayce Shaw kicked a volley to the right side of the net from ten yards out to give the Banana Slugs a 4-0 lead. Olivia Stewart would have the last shot of the match for the Banana Slugs but her shot was saved by Cantrell. The win snapped by the Banana Slugs's seven-match losing streak.
"We've been pushing really hard to get up in the attack the whole season and today we got to do it, which is awesome," said Wilson after her first two goals of the year.
"It was nice to get chances."
The Banana Slugs outshot the Cyclones 29-2 and the Banana Slugs had four more corner kicks (5-1) than did the Cyclones. Wilson had a match-high six shots to lead the Banana Slugs while for Mills, Dalia Pimentel and Ryan Riley both had a shot apiece. Malia Starita got the win for the Banana Slugs while Cantrell got the loss for the Cyclones. The Banana Slugs will continue their homestand on Tuesday as they take on NCAA Division II Academy of Art University in Santa Cruz. The match is set for a noon start time.
