LOS ANGELES -- One fantastic scoring play in overtime lifted Cal State LA's men's soccer team to another exciting NCAA playoff victory.
Gerard Hernando put the finishing touch on a fantastic sequence in the 93rd minute that involved
David Elizaga and
Carl Solli and lifted the Golden Eagles to a thrilling 2-1 victory over Colorado Mesa in a third-round NCAA playoff game at University Stadium. Cal State LA (16-2-2) stretched its unbeaten streak to 15 games and advanced to the Super Region 4 championship match for the second straight season.
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The No. 1 seed Golden Eagles, the defending Super Region 4 champions, survived a stern test from No. 4 seed Colorado Mesa (16-4-2), Cal State LA got a season-high 11 saves from
Alvaro Unanua, including six big ones in the second half that featured diving stops and acrobatic leaps to deflect dangerous shots over the crossbar. The Mavericks had nine corner kicks in the game, including six in the second half.
Cal State LA, though, showed off its championship pedigree in the overtime period. Elizaga started the game-winning play with a strong run down the left side of the field before passing it to Solli. From there, Solli quickly got the ball to Hernando, who drilled a shot just past Colorado Mesa goalkeeper Connor Durant for the game-winner, setting off a jubilant celebration for the Golden Eagles.
This was the second NCAA playoff meeting between the two programs and Cal State LA evened things up with the victory. Colorado Mesa edged the Golden Eagles, 1-0, in a national quarterfinal game in Seattle in 2014.
Colorado Mesa had an 17-13 edge in shots, including an 8-6 advantage in the second half. The Mavericks also had a 9-4 edge in corner kicks. Unanua's 11 saves easily surpassed his previous high this season of seven.
The first half was scoreless until the 43rd minute and both teams scored a goal before halftime. Daisuke Takanaka gave the Mavericks a 1-0 lead when he dribbled through the defense and rifled a shot from some distance for his fourth goal of the season.
The lead didn't last long, though, and the Golden Eagles tied it just 1:08 later when
Gonzalo Talavera scored on a penalty kick for his sixth goal of the season, which ties him for the team lead with fellow defender
Morten Bjoershol.
Cal State LA weathered an aggressive Colorado Mesa attack in the opening stages of the second half and Unanua made five saves in the first 24 minutes of the period to keep the game even at 1-1. The Golden Eagles found their footing down the stretch and ultimately had the only shot in the overtime period.
Gabriel Peres had six shots, including four on goal, for Colorado Mesa, while Solli had a team-high three shots for the Golden Eagles. Aiden Wait and Talavera had two shots each for the Golden Eagles.
Cal State LA will face Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Super Region 4 championship match. The Broncos also got sensational play from their goalkeeper, Jordan Aldama, who made two spectacular saves to lead his team to a shootout advancement past West Texas A&M after a 2-2 tie after regulation and two overtime periods. Cal State LA and Cal Poly Pomona will be playing for the fourth time this season.
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