Cal State Fullerton
Mustangs Book Spot in Big West Tournament with 1-0 Win
11/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Senior forward David Zamora completed the home portion of his collegiate career in fine fashion on Wednesday evening at Alex G. Spanos Stadium as his 48th-minute strike ensured the Cal Poly men's soccer team a 1-0 victory against Cal State Fullerton and cemented the Mustangs a place in the Big West Conference Tournament.
Two-and-a-half minutes into the second half, Mustang junior midfielder Jake Hustedt served a diagonal cross into the Cal State Fullerton penalty area. Zamora, Cal Poly's career leader for points (62) and appearances (77), headed the pass toward the center of the Titan goal mouth and past junior goalkeeper Trevor Whiddon.
"It was fitting that David, in his last home game, would score the game winner," fifth-year Mustang head coach Paul Holocher said of Zamora, who also ranks second in program history with 24 goals and third with 68 starts. "He's been so consistently good and tonight was a great way for him to finish his Cal Poly career at home."
The victory vaulted Cal Poly (7-6-3, 4-3-2) into third place in the Big West standings on 14 points and the Mustangs secured their third-successive appearance in the conference tournament moments later when UC Riverside (6-10-1, 3-6-0) ended UC Davis's season with a 1-0 victory. The Mustangs need only a draw during their Nov. 6 regular-season finale at Cal State Northridge to clinch the No. 3 seed for the Nov. 10 (semifinal) and Nov. 13 (championship) Big West Tournament.
Cal State Fullerton (6-10-2, 4-6-0), which held the Mustangs to a solitary shot on goal during the opening 45 minutes, slipped into fourth place on 12 points. The Titans need only a draw at No. 7 and Big West Conference-leading UC Irvine on Saturday evening to secure the No. 4 seed for the conference tournament.
"The goal is the Big West Tournament and it couldn't have been any clearer tonight for what the game meant to both teams," added Holocher, whose Mustangs finished 4-1-3 at Spanos Stadium to post the program's fourth-consecutive winning home campaign. "It was a must-win game tonight and we're very happy with the result."
Cal Poly's best scoring opportunity of the first half came during the second minute, but senior forward Junior Burgos, facing an open net, dragged his attempt wide of Cal State Fullerton's right post.
Whiddon turned away a Zamora attempt 86 seconds into the second half, but the Costa Rica native broke the scoreless deadlock moments later. Whiddon was forced into five additional saves the remainder of the match, as the Mustangs outshot the Titans during the second half, 17-9.
Junior goalkeeper Patrick McLain registered four saves, but Cal Poly's biggest stop of the night belonged to junior defender Cameron Walters, who preserved a Mustang victory in the 77th minute by blocking a shot on the goal line from Titan midfielder Ritchie Gonzalez.
Prior to Wednesday's match, the Cal Poly program honored both Zamora and Burgos for their contributions to the program.
