FRESNO, Calif. – On the attack all night, Fresno State's senior class walked off the pitch in front of its fans at Bulldog Soccer Stadium for the final time on Thursday night with a 2-0 win over Air Force. The Bulldogs racked up 22 shots, their most in a match since 2018.
Fittingly on Senior Night, Kaelyn Miller scored the game-winner, the 10th of her career. The senior also set up an insurance goal to notch her first three-point match since Aug. 22 versus Weber State, the first game of her final season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Fresno State got its offense going just nine minutes into the match. After forcing back-to-back saves from Kylie McElroy, Kaelyn Miller started finding space. Over the next three minutes, the senior attempted three shots, first missing the mark, then having a goal saved by a defender on the line before finding the back of the net.
In the 15th minute, Haley Espinoza fought through a defender and centered a ball into the box from the right side. Ciara Wilson redirected it to Miller who tucked it inside the back post.
The shots continued to come for the Bulldogs in the first half, but in the 41st, they got the insurance they were looking for on Senior Night in the form of a freshman.
Having a bending shot from distance punched away, Sam Paepen buried her second chance just seconds later. Katie Morris cycled the rebound back into the box where it was Miller nodding the ball back to her freshman teammate. From the top of the box, Paepen ripped a shot into the side netting, leaving McElroy standing flat-footed.
It was all Fresno State needed to earn its first conference win of the season.
NOTES
Fresno State moved to 6-8-3 overall, 1-6-2 in Mountain West play.
Fresno State is 4-1-1 on the year when scoring two goals.
Fresno State's 22 shots were its most since Sept. 28, 2018 (23 vs. New Mexico).
Fresno State put 13 shots on target, its most since Oct. 15, 2017 (14 vs. Nevada).
Fresno State recorded its fifth shutout of the season.
Kaelyn Miller jumped into a tie for fifth on the program's career goals list with 24, joining Nicole Gutierrez.
Miller is in sole possession of seventh on the career points list at 55, one point behind Gutierrez.
Miller also notched her third assist of the season.
Freshman Sam Paepen scored her third goal.
Ciara Wilson tallied her sixth assist of the season. That ties her total from 2023 which ranks ninth-most in a single season in program history.
Wilson moved into sole possession of seventh at Fresno State in career assists with 13.
Haley Espinoza and Katie Morris recorded the first assists of the year.
Wilson attempted a season-high seven shots while Miller matched her career high with six.
Shivani Battaglia posted her third career shutout.
SCORING SUMMARY
14:14 – FS – Kaelyn Miller (Ciara Wilson, Haley Espinoza)
40:25 – FS – Sam Paepen (Kaelyn Miller, Katie Morris)
UP NEXT
Fresno State will finish out the season on the road, first traveling to Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday to face Colorado College. Kickoff at Stewart Field is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. PT and will stream live on the Mountain West Network.