MORGAN HALL
DESIGN EDITOR

The Cal State San Marcos women’s soccer team is no stranger to amazing success on the field.

Last year, the team ended its regular season with a 10-2-5 record. Five players were selected to play for the A.I.I. Women’s Soccer All-Conference Team with head coach, Ron Pulvers, named Coach of the Year. The new season started on a high note as the NAIA announced in early September that the lady Cougars were ranked 15th in the nation. Game after game, the team proved what CSUSM women’s soccer is all about.

Game 1

The season kicked off with an impressive 4-0 win verses Point Park. Last season’s leading scorer, senior Lauren Johnson, opened the 2011-2012 season just sixteen minutes into the game with a goal off a corner kick. The Cougars managed to score three of its four goals before the end of the first half.

Game 2

Playing only two days later, the women’s soccer team managed to scrape by with a 1-0 win versus Biola. The Cougars were outshooting Biola 14-8 but were not able to convert until midfielder Arielle Cohen took a free kick in the fifty-fifth minute of the game. Three-time all American, Kaycee Grunion, kept her shutout streak alive with five saves.

Game 3

Again, playing another game only three days later, the lady Cougars faced off in Fresno against Fresno Pacific. At first, the game was a toss up with both teams evenly matched. At the start of the second half, the Cougars came off the bench hungry for a goal to keep their undefeated streak alive. Only minutes into the second half, freshman Courtney Kay scored the games only goal after Fresno’s keeper lost the ball during a free kick from just outside the box by Shannon Cox. Kay’s goal was icing on the cake as she celebrated her birthday and kept the Cougars at a solid 3-0 start.

Game 4

Playing four games in nine days might seem impossible and incredibly hard to do, but the CSUSM women’s soccer team played through the sore legs and tired muscles in search of maintaining its undefeated streak. In the second home game of the season, the lady Cougars walked off of Mangrum Field with a 2-0 victory verses La Verne University, outshooting them 20-1. The first goal of the game came in at just under twenty minutes when Courtney Kay flawlessly crossed the ball up field to Arielle Cohen who placed it perfectly in front of the net for Lauren Johnson to head it into the goal. The second goal was just as cleanly played as the first, with Shelby Bush going one on one with La Verne’s keeper and the ball just slipping out of the keeper’s reach. With a new record of 4-0, the women’s soccer team jumped up five places in the rankings and comfortably sat in 10th place.

Game 5

Game five vs. Point Loma took an interesting turn for the Cougar’s undefeated season when both teams walked away with a 0-0 tie. The Cougars were outshooting Point Loma 10 – 3 but were not able to connect and score a goal. Arielle Cohen was a key player in the game for taking two shots on goal. Kaycee Grunion preserved her five game shut out streak with three saves.

Game 6

After a tie in game five vs. Point Loma the Cougars looked to add another win to their season just two days later at Whittier College. The Cougars out shot Whittier 14-4 and walked away with a comfotable 3-0 win. Freshman, Shelby Bush Scored two goals in the game. Sophomore, Kelly Skvarna, scored her first goal of the season after an assist from Shasha Hudson.

Game 7

Playing less than 24 hours later, the CSUSM women’s soccer team added one more win to their nearly perfect record vs. the University of Texas-Brownsville. The Cougars scored just eighteen minutes into the game after Shelby Bush cleanly crossed the ball in front of the net which connect with Mary Green who rocketed in the top of the net. Shelby Bush scored the second goal of the game after going one on one with UTB’s keeper. In the eighty-fifth minute of the game the Cougar defence was caught off guard and Kaycee Grunion’s six game shutout streak came to an end with a final score of 2-1.

The Cougars next game will be at home September 21 vs. Concordia University.

Photos courtesy of Morgan Hall