Box Score

LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s women's soccer team took a 2-0 lead and then held on for a big California Collegiate Athletic Association victory Monday night.

The Golden Eagles got a pair of goals from #Alex Conley# and then held off a furious rally by UC San Diego to post a 2-1 win Monday at Jesse Owens Track. Cal State L.A. (13-2-2, 10-2-2 CCAA) extended its South Division lead to five points over the Tritons and Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Tritons (12-3, 9-3), though, have played two fewer games than both the Golden Eagles and Toros.

The game was a battle between two of the top-ranked teams in the NCAA Division II West Region and the nation. UC San Diego entered the game ranked 11^th in the nation and second in the West Region, while Cal State L.A. was 17^th in the nation and third in the region.

Cal State L.A. had a 16-11 edge in shots, while UC San Diego had a 3-2 advantage in corner kicks. The final corner kick for the Tritons came in the last 20 seconds of the game and the ball was sent just wide of the goal, allowing the Golden Eagles to preserve the one-goal lead.

Conley took over the conference goals-scoring lead with her two goals on Monday that give her 10 on the season. #Liz Franco# had two more assists to give her a conference-best 16 and she now has a total of 34 points this season, which is a program record. #Kastidi Robles# also had an assist on Conley's first goal.

#Heather Emswiler# made five saves in goal for the Golden Eagles, including one in the final minute on a shot by UC San Diego's Alyssa Newcomer. UC San Diego goalie Kristin Armstrong made six saves for the Tritons.

Both teams generated some early scoring chances, although the first goal wasn't scored until the 22^nd minute. Franco had a shot just 3:30 into the contest go just above the crossbar and UC San Diego had a shot by Anne Wethe sail just wide in the 10^th minute. Franco drilled a free kick toward the goal, but had it stopped by Armstrong in the 11^th minute and #Ann Marie Tangorra# was just high with a shot in the 21^st minute.

Conley gave the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead when she knocked a hard shot from the right side of the box into the left corner of the goal in the 22^nd minute. Robles made a nice pass to Franco, who found Conley breaking free.

The Golden Eagles took that 1-0 lead into halftime and then put on the pressure in the opening minutes of the second half. Franco took a pass from Tangorra and rifled a shot from inside the box just over the crossbar in the 48^th minute and Armstrong made a save on a bid from Robles.

Cal State L.A. then took a 2-0 lead when Conley took a pass from Franco, split a pair of defenders and hit a perfectly-placed shot just inside the far post for her second goal of the game and 10^th of the season.

The Golden Eagles seemed to have things in hand until UC San Diego got on the board in the 80^th minute on a beautiful shot by Sara Spaventa, who drilled a blast from about 30 yards out just under the crossbar and above the outstretched hands of Emswiler. Shelby Wong passed the ball to the open Spaventa and earned the assist.

Cal State L.A. almost got that goal back in a hurry, but Conley's bid for her third goal sailed over the crossbar from point-blank range.

UC San Diego got a pair of shots by Newcomer that were saved by Emswiler and Emswiler was able to pounce on a loose ball after a cross in the box. A shot by UC San Diego's Gabi Hernandez with less than five minutes left sailed wide.

The Tritons then had their last dangerous corner kick in the waning seconds just miss connecting.

The good result came on Senior Night at Cal State L.A. and the Golden Eagles honored their five seniors – Emswiler, Robles, #Amanda Matthews#, #Reauna Wong# and #Gabby Lovato# – in pregame ceremonies.

Cal State L.A. is now off until Oct. 30 when the Golden Eagles will face the Tritons again, this time in La Jolla.