Box Score Cal State San Marcos women's soccer lived up to its #15 national ranking in its debut Saturday, cruising by Point Park (PA) 4-0 in front of the home crowd at Mangrum Field.
CSUSM improves to 1-0 on the year. Point Park drops to 0-2 on its season-starting swing in Southern California.
The Cougars controlled the action from the beginning, dominating possession and peppering the Point Park keeper with shots. For the match, the Cougars out-shot Point Park 33-3, and three-time All-American keeper Kaycee Gunion was called on to make just one simple save.
On the attack, CSUSM looked as deadly as advertised. Loaded with talent up front, the Cougars played free and creatively on the attack, taking their time and controlling possession on their opponents' side of the field.
The game's first goal came from a familiar source, all-time program-leading goal scorer Lauren Johnson. Now in her senior year, Johnson uses her size and deceptive pace to give nightmares to opposing defenses, which is precisely what she did on Saturday. Johnson scored in the 16th minute on a header off a corner kick, and would add another later on a Kaleigh Dodson cross.
CSUSM threatened all day off of set pieces, scoring twice more on corner kicks in the first half. An Amy Alber header found the head of Lauren Misklevitz in the 27th minute, and Kristin Poggioli headed in a Vanessa Novella corner in the 33rd.
The Cougars will be in for a tougher test on Tuesday when they face Biola University on the road.
