ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay women's soccer team created opportunities throughout Sunday's match but came up short in a 1-0 loss to Fresno Pacific at the Oakland Roots Training Facility. The result leaves the Pioneers at 2-6-0 overall and 1-3-0 in CCAA play.
East Bay came out attacking early, putting together several chances in the opening minutes. Lily Larez recorded a shot on goal in the ninth minute, but Fresno Pacific goalkeeper Isabella Alvarez made the save.
The Sunbirds broke through in the 17th minute when Bailey Roberson scored following an initial blocked attempt, giving Fresno Pacific a 1-0 advantage.
The Pioneers continued to push for the equalizer throughout the remainder of the match. Jenna McDonnell remained active in the attack, recording three shots on goal, including attempts in the 56th, 76th and 81st minutes. East Bay also generated several corner kicks as it continued to pressure the Fresno Pacific defense.
The Pioneers faced an additional challenge late in the match when Lily Larez was shown a red card in the 77th minute, leaving East Bay with 10 players for the remainder of the contest. Despite playing a player down, the Pioneers continued to create chances, with McDonnell putting another shot on goal and Paris Coleman forcing a save in the closing minutes.
McDonnell led East Bay with six shots and three shots on goal. Larez finished with two shots and one on frame, while Coleman recorded one shot on goal. The Pioneers finished with 12 shots, five on target, compared to five shots, one on target, for Fresno Pacific.
East Bay also held an advantage in corner kicks, 6-3, including four in the second half. Fresno Pacific goalkeeper Alvarez finished with four saves, while the Sunbirds were also credited with a team save on one of East Bay's late attempts.
Bianca Avila played the opening 45 minutes in goal for the Pioneers and allowed the lone goal. Yvette Torres took over after halftime and kept Fresno Pacific off the scoreboard for the final 45 minutes.
Despite controlling the shot count and creating several opportunities late, the Pioneers were unable to find the equalizer as Fresno Pacific held on for the 1-0 victory.
