Sonoma State's Espitia Nets Huge Winner and First CCAA Weekly Award
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Sonoma State junior forward Alexis Espitia’s huge goal in a 1-0 defeat of then-second-ranked UC San Diego has earned her CCAA Player of the Week selection for Oct. 21-27.
The native of Concord produced the Seawolves’ only tally in their lone game last week. Espitia’s most recent of her CCAA-leading eight goals was most definitely her biggest, coming at the 72:09 mark of last Friday afternoon’s home upset of the rival Tritons, off a nice feed from Molly Murphy. UC San Diego was one of the final seven unbeaten squads in Division II women’s soccer at the start of play that day.
Then-19th-ranked Sonoma State’s (11-2) league-best 10th consecutive win left it perfect in CCAA play at 7-0, and kept the Seawolves firmly in contention for their first regular-season banner since 2015. Their intended home contest with Cal State San Marcos on Sunday was canceled due to a campus closure from area wildfires.
Friday’s result snapped the Tritons’ five-game win streak in the series, and marked just the third Seawolf triumph in 27 all-time meetings. Previous Sonoma State victories over UC San Diego had come in Rohnert Park in 2015 and La Jolla in 2013.
Espitia has matched a single-season career best with her eight goals, having reached that mark during an impressive rookie campaign in 2017. She is tied for the league lead with fellow junior Taylor Scott of Cal Poly Pomona, and is also first in shots (54) and shots on goal (36). Friday marked her third goal against the Tritons in four career games facing them, with one in each of the last two CCAA Tournament finals.
Espitia is the first Sonoma State women’s soccer student-athlete to be chosen as the CCAA Player of the Week since Cara Curtin on Sept. 24, 2013.
Sonoma State hits the road for one final time for the 2019 regular season this coming weekend, playing at Stanislaus State Friday night and then at another fierce rival in Chico State on Sunday afternoon.
Also nominated:
Vidalia Abarca, Cal State San Bernardino
Lauren McDougal, Cal State East Bay
Taylor Rasmussen, Cal Poly Pomona
Ilena Rivera, Stanislaus State