Dominant First Half Keys Road Victory

FRESNO – Oregon State women's soccer jumped out to an early lead and then held on late to pick up a 2-1 win at Fresno State.
 
The Beavers held the Bulldogs without a shot on goal nearly 55 minutes into the contest and held on to most of the possession in the first half, using it to build a 2-0 halftime lead. In total, Oregon State outshot Fresno State 23-6 with a 6-2 advantage in shots on goal.

"Winning on the road is a difficult task", said head coach Lauren Sinacola. "I'm proud of our team's performance and fight to come out on top. We had a brilliant first half and I think we did a great job creating chances throughout the second. We'll learn from this win, regroup and get ready for Pacific on Sunday."
 
Oregon State struck first after a back-and-forth first few minutes. McKenna Martinez took the ball down the right wing and curled in a goal from just inside the penalty area. The fourth-minute goal was the sophomore's third score of the season.
 
The Beavs looked to build on their lead in the following minutes. Oregon State maintained possession for the majority of the first 15 minutes and saw opportunities on a corner kick and free kick before headers missed wide in the 12th and 15th minutes. In total, OSU outshot the Bulldogs 13-1 in the first half.
 
Bryana Pizzaro was one of OSU's most persistent attackers in the first half and her efforts paid off in the 19th minute. Pizzaro took a pass near midfield and blazed up the left wing, finding Martinez inside the box. Fresno State saved Martinez's shot but the ball bounced back to her. The sophomore found Gwen Jacobs, who sent her first career goal into the back of the net.  
 
Jacobs nearly had her second career goal in the 48th minute, one of three Oregon State opportunities that couldn't quite find the back of the net.
 
Fresno State narrowed the Beaver lead to one in the 58th minute. Kaelyn Miller and Ciara Wilson combined for a breakaway opportunity that Kassandra Ceja finished to make it 2-1.
 
The Beavers regained their footing and made the lead stand up in the remaining 30 minutes. OSU held the Bulldogs to just three shots for the remainder of the contest and Hailey Coll came up with the save on Fresno State's only other shot on goal.
 
Oregon State's NorCal road trip continues on Sunday when they take on Pacific (Calif.) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).