The Lady Gators watched their playoff hopes start to slip after their weekend series when they failed to score a goal in their Friday afternoon loss and Sunday afternoon tie.

The women's soccer team lost to Cal State L.A. Sept. 29, 1-0, and tied Cal State Bakersfield Oct. 1, 0-0, in games needed to gain ground on Chico State and Sonoma State, currently ranked one and two in the division.

"We are playing stellar defense," Assistant Coach Caroline Tiziana said. "We need to work on finishing, putting the ball behind the net."

The team is in the midst of a five-game, 10-day stretch, with upcoming road games on Oct. 6 and Oct. 8.

“We need to stay focused,” Coach Jack Hyde said. “We’re playing very well, we’ve just missed a couple of good chances.”

Senior Morgan Davison, 19, agreed.

“We need to get better opportunities in front of the goal,” Davison said. “We could do a lot better than we did.”

Coach Hyde said this year’s season was cut by a week, causing the team to play some games with less rest time in between.

Friday’s game ended with a lone goal in the 50th minute by Cal State L.A.’s Kastidi Robles on an unassisted breakaway.

The Gators failed to match it with five missed shots, including a missed penalty kick. The Gators also missed five more shots during Sunday’s game. The Gators scored twice in the last games and have only allowed two goals in the last five games.

SF State goalkeeper Sarah Balderas recorded her fourth shutout of the season during Sunday’s tied game, making two magnificent saves.

“It felt rewarding, considering the girls have worked so hard,” Balderas, 20, said.

Sunday’s game was a test of wills as both teams battled physically, causing disagreement among the fans, who thought that some referee calls were questionable.

“You can’t blame the refs,” sophomore Cory Hews said, who was pulled to the ground numerous times in the game.

“We outplayed them, but we couldn’t get the ball in the net,” she said.

Knowing it’s crunch time in the season to make the playoffs, the Gators will have to win their next games to remain competitive. The Gators are currently fourth in their division with a record of 3-4-2 in the league and 4-6-2 overall.

“It’s nothing new,” Coach Tiziana said of their attitude approaching games. “Every game is a championship game.”

The Gators will travel this weekend to play Humboldt State on Oct. 6 and battle the Seawolves of Sonoma State on Oct. 8.