Falcons come from behind to grab first win of 2021

USAFA, Colo.- A winless start to the Falcons' opening weekend in Denver preceded 11 days between matches, giving Larry Friend and his staff ample time to continue their mission of building up their young squad. Needless to say, the time served Air Force well, as the Falcons picked up their first win of the 2021 season, defeating Cal Poly 2-1.

"We had a tremendous first-half tonight", said Friend. "The second-half, we very much struggled to connect passes and keep the ball, so we had to just really dig down deep. We had to defend, defend, defend."

As coach said, the Falcons didn't allow a 5th minute Cal Poly goal to sour their mood. After a Mustang foul, freshman Hannah Johnson lined up for a free kick along the left side of the pitch, not far from the midline. She sent a curling ball into the middle of the 18-yard box, where junior Kayla Milford perfectly headed the free kick high above the Mustang keeper, landing safely in the back of the net. The goal, the first of the season for the Falcons, was her first since October 18, 2019, and only the second of her career.

The momentum of the game immediately shifted towards the home side, as the Falcons kept the ball on the offensive end of the field over the next handful of minutes. The attacking pressure paid off, as an Air Force corner kick in the 39th minute eventually bounced towards freshman Ashlie Van Cleave, who snuck past an incoming defender, settled the ball on her right foot from about 19 yards, and blasted a shot past a diving Cal Poly keeper to give the Falcons a 2-1 lead. The goal marks the first of Van Cleave's collegiate career.

The second-half was much different for the Falcons, as the Mustangs showed off their horsepower over the remaining 45 minutes, outshooting the Falcons 10-2 in the half. Though Air Force did struggle to maintain possession, the defense didn't break.

"I guess the quote of the night would be I'd rather win ugly than lose in beauty," said Friend. "We won ugly tonight, but we found a way to win and that's the important thing for this young team."

The win marks the first for Air Force in three meetings with Cal Poly, having lost the previous two matchups in 2003 and 2009.

Next, the Falcons (1-1-1, 0-0) travel to Fairfax, Virginia to play George Mason, marking the start of a three-game East Coast road trip that includes oh-so important matchups with fellow service academies Navy (Sept. 12) and Army (Sept. 16). Kickoff against George Mason is scheduled for 5 PM MT.

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