Box Score

LOS ANGELES – Cal State L.A.'s men's soccer team got its offense clicking in time to post an important win against the California Collegiate Athletic Association South Division leaders.

 

The Golden Eagles scored two first-half goals and added another in the second period and went on to an impressive 3-1 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills Wednesday at Jesse Owens Stadium in the Billie Jean King Sports Complex. Cal State L.A. (8-5-1, 7-5-1 CCAA) snapped a three-match winless streak with the victory and put itself right back in the thick of things for the conference race.

 

Cal State L.A., the defending CCAA South Division champs, pulled to within four points of first-place Cal State Dominguez Hills (10-3-2, 8-3-2) with three conference games remaining. The Golden Eagles now have 22 points and pulled ahead of UC San Diego iinto third place in the South Division, although the Tritons have four games left.

 

Cal State L.A. is seeking its fifth consecutive trip to the four-team CCAA Championship Tournament.

 

The Golden Eagles and Toros both ended the spirited contest with 16 shots each. The Toros had a 9-8 edge in corner kicks.

 

Cal State L.A. goalie Thaddeus Caraway made nine saves, while Cal State Dominguez Hills goalie Markus Dickerson made four saves.

 

The game was played in soggy field conditions because of the recent rains, but the Golden Eagles were able to kick-start their offense nonetheless and the back line defense of Julian Ringhof, Taylor Rivas, Brennen Brodersen and Tony Hernandez was up to the task of holding down the Toros' explosive offense.

 

The Golden Eagles got the game's first goal in the 15^th minute when Marvin Sandoval scored his first goal of the season. He received a pass from Ringhof and, with Dickerson out of the crease, sent a shot to the far post and in.

 

The Toros tied it up less than six minutes later when Alex Munoz took a direct kick from just outside the penalty box and rifled it toward the goal. The ball appeared to hit Cal State L.A. players set up in the wall and went into the net. The goal was the third of the season for Munoz.

 

Cal State L.A. grabbed the lead for good in the 41^st minute when Ringhof drilled a header off a long throw-in by Joe Davis toward the goal. Dickerson leaped and got his fingertips on it, but the shot went into the goal anyway. The goal was Ringhof's team-leading fourth of the season.

 

The only goal of the second half came from Gonzalo Pulgar, who re-directed a pass from Tyler Coombes in the box for his third goal of the season. It was a spectacular run by Coombes, who split three Toro defenders before sending in the pass to Pulgar, who finished it nicely.

 

Cal State L.A. will face Cal State Dominguez Hills again on Saturday in Carson at 4:30 p.m.