Four different freshmen scored a goal apiece Saturday night in Alex G. Spanos Stadium, as the first-year Mustangs combined to account for the offense in a 2-2 draw at the Cal Poly women’s soccer team’s annual preseason Green vs. Gold intrasquad scrimmage.
The first goal came in the 15th minute as Brooke Rubinstein, a recruit from Davis playing for the Green squad, slotted an opportunity home from the top of the box following a rebound of her first shot (which was initially blocked by Gold goalkeeper Molly Monroe).
Green went up 2-0 in the 40th minute when Brooke Oleson (a signee from Salinas High School) beat the keeper to the far-left corner from inside the box.
Arguably the goal of the night came in the 55th minute, when Ava McCray scored on a header from a corner kick for the Gold side, making it 2-1. McCray was a teammate of Rubinstein at Davis High a year ago, as the duo helped lead the Blue Devils to three consecutive CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 championships from 2016-18.
Only six minutes later (61’), Mackenzie George equalized for the Gold team, capitalizing on a breakaway down the right side of the pitch to level the match 2-2. George, from Woodcreek High in Roseville, attended a USWNT U-19 training camp this past May, one of just 24 players to be invited.
Sophomore Grace Park nearly tallied a game-winner in the 71st minute (the second half was only 30’ as opposed to a standard 45’ for the first), but the shot went just wide-right of the post.
Another close call came upon 34’, when fellow freshman Madison Williams (Fort Collins, Colo.) ricocheted off the crossbar from 15 yards away, almost making for a trio of first-half Green goals.
Altogether for the evening, the Green squad outshot their counterparts 13-12 total, with junior Sophia Brown making four saves for Green and Monroe also stopping four for Gold. Freshman Ava Dorvillier also played in goal for the Gold team after intermission.
The preseason will continue for the Mustangs in the week ahead, as Cal Poly returns to Spanos Stadium to host Wesmont for a 7 p.m. exhibition Wednesday, Aug. 8. Cal Poly will open the regular season against Marquette at home Thursday, Aug. 16, also at 7 p.m.
-Provided by Cal Poly
