After a disappointing loss Monday to No. 15 Brigham Young, the Arizona soccer team plays its second road game of the week against Cal State Fullerton tonight at 7 p.m. in Fullerton, Calif.
The Wildcats (6-4-0) may be without leading scorer Gianna DeSaverio, who injured her knee in the BYU game and is still unsure if she will be ready to play. The sophomore forward collided with BYU junior goalie Erika Woodbury in the first half and had to leave the game but came back in the second half with her knee wrapped.
“”It’s black and blue and really swollen,”” DeSaverio said. “”I have no idea if I’m going to play. I will have to decide (today).””
Not having DeSaverio isn’t a good sign for the Wildcats’ offense, which hasn’t scored in the past 180 minutes of play.
Fullerton will be Arizona’s last nonconference opponent before Pacific 10 Conference play begins next weekend against Oregon and Oregon State.
“”No one on the team wants to go into conference play with a losing streak,”” said sophomore forward Sally Thurner. “”We want to come in with confidence.””
The Wildcats and the Titans (4-4-1) have met just twice before, with the Wildcats winning one match and tying in the other, a 1996 tilt that ended in a 2-2 tie in double overtime.
Fullerton has struggled of late, having lost its last three games to Texas, San Francisco and Santa Clara.
The past week wasn’t easy for the Wildcats, either. They traveled to Provo, Utah, to play BYU on Monday and suffered a 1-0 loss, and the memory hasn’t left quite yet.
“”We should have won that game. … We just kind of gave them the game,”” DeSaverio said.
Thurner said that she feels the team is now more determined because of the BYU game.
The Wildcats are trying not to let the intensive traveling of the week get them down.
“”This week is an adjustment with the traveling, but we get to play all week … but I think it’s difficult for everyone,”” Thurner said.
DeSaverio said that traveling is in the job description and something that the young players will get used to quickly.
She said she thinks that the team is nearly there in playing its best 90 minutes.
“”In our game against BYU, the first half was the first good full half of soccer,”” she said. “”We are almost there.””
UA head coach Dan Tobias echoed that sentiment, saying that the game was a tale of two halves. He added that the team is doing far more defending than it should be, as the ball was on Arizona’s defensive third of the field more than he would like.
Tobias said controlling the ball will be a key to success tonight.
“”We need to be productive around the entire field,”” Thurner said. “”We just need to complete everything offensively and defensively.””
