TURLOCK — Don't tell Ilena Rivera "big things come in small packages."
 
She'll just show you on the field what she's capable of.
 
The Stanislaus State women's soccer forward – all 4-feet, 10-inches of her – scored twice Saturday, both with headers, to help lead the Warriors to a 2-0 non-conference win over Cal State East Bay at Warrior Stadium.
 
It was Rivera's third career multi-goal game, her last coming at home on Oct. 24, 2019, against UC Santa Cruz. She scored in both halves Saturday, first off her own rebound, and later from a bounding pass into the box.
 
"I think what we proved tonight is our team should never be judged by our height but rather our heart," said Stanislaus State head coach Gabriel Bolton. "Sometimes you need a bit of individual brilliance and Lena provided that tonight with her performance."
 
Rivera's first goal broke a 0-0 stalemate in the 38th minute. She was on the charge, running into the box with the ball while simultaneously trying to fight off a Cal State East Bay (3-2-1) defender. She took a shot from just inside the 18-yard mark which sailed over CSUEB goalkeeper Jordan Smith, but banged off the crossbar. Rivera kept running in, playing her own rebound as the ball bounced back into play. She got her head on it and popped it in the air, sending it over and out of Smith's reach and into the goal.
 
That first goal and 1-0 lead stood for nearly 40 minutes, as the Stanislaus State (3-3) defense held the Pioneers at bay and limited opportunities.
 
I was really pleased with our performance defensively," said Bolton. "Not only did we shut them out but we limited them to shots from 30-40 yards."
 
Cal State East Bay outshot the Warriors, 11-3, in the second half, but nearly all of the shots were from deep in the midfield, way out from the box – the only shots the Stan State defense was going to allow them. Warriors goalkeeper Amanda Leal grabbed two saves in her third shutout of the season. She's carrying a 0.83 Goals Against Average as the Warriors head into California Collegiate Athletic Association play next week.
 
"It is great to get back on the winning track and scoring goals," said Bolton. "The team has worked really hard the past couple of weeks and it shows."
 
Stanislaus State will open CCAA play at 7 p.m. Friday when it hosts Cal State Monterey Bay – whom they fell to, 2-1, on the road on Sept. 12. Fans can find all live coverage links on WarriorAthletics.com.