The road trip to Southern California could be the litmus test for the women’s soccer team this season. The acidic offense burned through opposing defenses and SF State’s base defense neutralized the other team’s attack.

After the trip to the south, the Gators came out riding a three-game winning streak. They beat Cal State San Bernardino 1-0 on Friday and handled Cal Poly Pomona 2-1 on Sunday.

“It definitely proves we’re not getting lucky and that we’re a legitimate team,” defender Lauren Candia said.

Road trips have not been friendly to the Gators this season. Before this weekend the team was 0-4 away from Cox Stadium. At home the Gators have not lost, posting a 5-0-2 record.

“It was huge for us,” keeper Rachel Lauderdale said. “It’s always a struggle for us to go away and play, especially in the heat. It’s a huge obstacle every game and it proved we can do anything we put our hearts into.”

Midway through the season the purple and gold have won their way to the top of the California Collegiate Athletic Association with a five-game unbeaten streak. The Gators are 5-2-1 in conference and 7-4-2 overall.

“We try not to think about conference, we try not to think about playoffs,” midfielder Courtney Hamchuk said. “It’s so close right now we can’t count points. We have to keep sticking as a team and focusing. We need to take it one game at a time.”

SF State leads the CCAA North Division with 16 points, edging out Sonoma State by only a point. The top team from the North and South Division make the playoffs and two seats are left up for grabs for the team with the highest points that did not win the division. There are two teams in the south with 18 points.

Two goals a game will keep the Gators in any game and keep the team winning, midfielder Carly Bliss said. The defense is strong enough to not give up three goals.

The team is second to last in the CCAA, with a scoring average of 1.08 goals a game, but leads the conference with .62 goals allowed per game.

“We try to get two goals per game,” Hamchuk said. “If we get one goal and win I’m happy.”

And win they have.

“We have so much versatile skill,” Bliss said. “There isn’t one or two skilled people, but 11. You have so much confidence in any person to go one-on-one, everyone has improved so much.”

The Gators are tops in the conference with seven shutouts; five of them have come in conference play. The goalies are the middle of the road for saves because the ball is not getting past the 10 players in front of them.

“Everyone has a part [in the shutouts],” Lauderdale said. “The offense is holding the ball in the front, the midfielders are winning the air balls, and the defense is well put together and they have a magic way of getting the ball out [of the back].”

Not only has the defense been magic, but the team has seen four different players find the net, with 10 players getting at least one assist. The team has scored 14 goals, seven less then the entire season last year.

“In the beginning of the season it seemed a lot harder to score goals and be productive up front,” forward Kara Cunningham said. “Last practice, coach [Jack Hyde] said ‘it is our job to score goals.’ Every game we get better, especially the offense.”

Robin Bowman leads the team in scoring with six goals, followed by Myriah Johnson (four); Cunningham and Zoila Marquez have two each. Marquez had two goals this past weekend on the road.

“Big Goal” Bowman has earned the title with four game-winning goals to rank first in the CCAA. She is tied for third in the CCAA for goals and tied for fifth in total points.

“All of my goals I’ve been at the right place at the right time,” midfielder Robin Bowman said. “I’ve learned to be at the right place.”

The team may sit in first place now, but the league changes day-by-day Lauderdale said. In the rest of conference play, the Gators will face five teams with a losing record and one team with a winning record.

“We’re aware of it, but it’s not something we’re thinking about,” Bowman said. “There are crazy things that can happen, upsets can come from any team.”

Sonoma State and Humboldt State have dished out the only SF State conference losses, but the Gators will have a chance to strike back in the last two games of the regular season.

“The Sonoma and Humboldt games are going to be big,” Bliss said. “We are undefeated at home. If we can hold on to our home-unbeaten streak against Humboldt, it will be sweet revenge. Sonoma is the senior game. [The games] are going to be intense, it will be a crazy show for the fans.”

The Gators defend the house Friday, Oct. 10 at 3:00 p.m. against Cal State San Marcus in a non-conference game and in a conference game against Cal State L.A. on Sunday, Oct. 12 at 3:00 p.m.

“We need to go with the momentum [we have],” Candia said. “We can’t rest on the fact that we’ve won a couple of games. We have to go out like every game is the championship.”

This story does not include the game against CSU Monterey Bay due to timing of the game and the deadline of the paper. Look at xpress.sfsu.edu for information on the game.