BURNABY, British Columbia, Canada - In a gripping season opener on Thursday evening at SFU Stadium, the Cal State East Bay Women's Soccer team battled valiantly but fell just short, losing 1-0 to the Simon Fraser Red Leafs.
 

MATCH SUMMARY

GOAL SUMMARY

Simon Fraser 1, Cal State East Bay 0

The decisive moment came in the 36th minute when Kaiden Sherwood found the inside of the left post off an assist from Kate Cartier to put the Red Leafs ahead.

Cal State East Bay's best chances to equalize came in the second half, as Lexie Randolph led the charge with two shots on goal. Kylie Newman, Madeline Bister, and Morgan Pearson each contributed additional attempts on frame, but the net eluded them. The Pioneers were also nearly on the brink of an equalizer by hitting the right post and the crossbar in the second half. 
 

NOTABLE STATS

• Despite the setback, the Pioneers showcased their offensive prowess throughout the match, launching a total of 13 shots, with seven of those testing SFU goalkeeper Sarah Loewen.
• Randolph finished with a team-high three shots with two on target.
• Newman also added a pair of shots on net.
• In goal, Jazlyn Castillo recorded five saves for East Bay, while SFU's Sarah Loewen earned a shutout with an impressive seven saves, thwarting every attempt on net the Pioneers made.
• Thursday's match marks the first for the Pioneers with Anne Whipple serving as head coach.

POSTGAME QUOTE

Cal State East Bay head coach Anne Whipple following the season opener:
"Tough result. We played extremely well and fought until the very end. We will regroup, iron out a few things out in training over the next two days and be prepared and ready to bounce back for Sunday's match."
 

UP NEXT FOR CAL STATE EAST BAY

The Pioneers will look to bounce back in their next match against Saint Martin's on Sunday, September 8, at SMU Soccer Field in Lacey, Washington, kicking off at 11 a.m.