The Gator’s defended the scraggly, worn turf of Cox stadium as if it were a palace that only they were welcome in.

The women took the battle to Chico State with constant pressure and great ball control. Head coach Jack Hyde kept sending in reinforcements that came out attacking to secure the 1-0 win.

“We have to get more people involved, put pressure on them, and never let them settle,” Hyde said. “To do that you need fresh legs.”

The home team’s only goal came from a couple of warriors off the bench, Myriah Johnson and Prisca Carpenter.

In the 71st minute Carpenter went one-on-one with Chico’s goalie, Natalie Bensky, for a ball in the air. In Carpenter’s playing debut she was able to win the ball heading it to a waiting Johnson for the assist.
Johnson was out past the 18-yard box and lofted the ball out of everyone’s reach to the back of the net to land the winning blow.

“It was amazing,” Carpenter said about making her debut. “From warm-ups I just felt it.”

After a tough weekend on the road last week in which the Gator’s lost two California Collegiate Athletic Association games Lauren McAulay said the team knew they had to come out intense. SF State is 4-4-1 overall and 3-2 in conference play.

“This is the team,” Lauren McAulay said. “If we come out like this every game we could be undefeated.”

The Gators had 10 shots and five of them were on goal. Seven different players had shots and four of
those players came in from the bench.

“We have a really deep bench, a starting 22,” captain Morgan Davison said.

Rachel Lauderdale and Emily Hart split the game in the keeper position. Lauderdale took the first half and was not required to make a save on Chico’s two shots because the defense did not allow for Chico to penetrate the back line.

“We always want to be tenacious, win the ball in the air, and keep it in our offensive third of the field.” Johnson said.

Hart made the only Gator save of the game with 8 minutes remaining diving to her right to save the win. Chico had 4 shots and only one on goal.

The purple and gold have yet to allow an invading team go home a winner. They are 4-0-1 when playing in San Francisco.

The team is excited to play on the field they are used to being on Hyde said. All of the team’s losses have come on synthetic turf or on very hard fields.

“We played for each other instead of with each other,” Johnson said about the team’s new look from last weekend.

The team will go out and defend the house one more time this weekend against Cal State Stanislaus Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

Defender, Sasha Verruno, is no longer playing for the Gators for undisclosed reasons Hyde said. Freshmen Shannon Murray will replace her on the active roster.