Box Score
CARSON -- Cal State L.A.'s men's soccer team battled on even terms with top-seeded Sonoma State for the first 78 minutes of their California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship Tournament semi-final match Friday.
The Golden Eagles, though, were unable to keep the Seawolves off the scoreboard for the entire game. Sonoma State scored twice in the final 11:55 of the contest and beat Cal State L.A., 2-0, Friday at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Sonoma State (18-2-1) won its 17th consecutive match, while the Golden Eagles (11-6-4) lost for the first time in their last five games.
Sonoma State enjoyed a 16-6 edge in shots, including a 9-4 advantage in the second half. The Seawolves also had an 8-5 advantage in corner kicks.
Cal State L.A., though, played a spirted match and the defense bottled up the high-powered Sonoma State offense until the end. Andrew Bailey knocked in a rebound of a shot taken by Nathan Medina in the 79th minute. Cal State L.A. goalie Noe David made a good save of the initial shot, but the rebound found Bailey, who didn't miss with his put-back.
With the Golden Eagles pushing for the equalizer, a Sonoma State counter-attack resulted in the second goal with just 3:58 to go. A pass from Matt Wiedeman found teammate Mike Travis, who blasted a shot inside the right post.
David had six saves for the Golden Eagles and was very active in the box, snaring several other Sonoma State crossing attempts as well. Sonoma State's Brook Johnson needed only one save for the shutout, although the Golden Eagles had several other scoring opportunities come up short. A second-half shot by Morten Marthinsen was the only Cal State L.A. attempt on goal.
Marthinsen had two shots in the game and was a constant threat despite heavy Sonoma State pressure. The Golden Eagles had four corner kicks in the second half, but were unable to convert any into goals.
The Golden Eagles got a strong game from defenders Anton Gunnarsson, Ruben Hansen, A.J. Matthews and Patrick Thurston, who held the Seawolves' forwards in check for most of the game. Midfielders Rufino Franco, Kristian Gaustad, Kyle Hewitt and David Mora were able to help on defense and start Cal State L.A.'s counterattack and Marthinsen and Massaquoi were dangerous up top. Cal State L.A. also got strong performances from three reserves: Marvin Sandoval, Aza Gomez and Spencer Tripp.
