CSU Bakersfield
Mustangs Complete Non-Conference Play with 2-1 Triumph
9/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Freshman forward Justin Hill tallied his first collegiate goal in the 34th minute and junior midfielder Jake Hustedt's 62nd-minute penalty counted as the game-winning strike for the Cal Poly men's soccer team on Wednesday evening as the Mustangs registered their first home victory of the 2010 campaign with a 2-1 triumph versus Cal State Bakersfield at Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
Sophomore goalkeeper Brett Finkelstein (above) finished with five saves for Cal Poly (3-3-1), which completed the non-conference portion of its season by putting more than half of its 11 shot attempt on the Cal State Bakersfield goal. The Mustangs, 22-5-4 at Spanos Stadium, are now unbeaten in nine of their previous 10 matches at home.
A third-minute lofted attempt by senior forward Junior Burgos counted as Cal Poly's only shot attempt until Hill received a feed through the penalty area from senior forward David Zamora. After multiple dribbles toward goal, Hill scooted past Cal State Bakersfield goalkeeper Shane Ascheri and fired his attempt into the bottom right corner. With the score, Hill became Cal Poly's sixth different goal scorer in seven matches this season while Zamora registered his team-leading third assist.
"Justin made a good run behind the defense and showed composure with the ball. It was a very memorable first goal," Cal Poly head coach Paul Holocher said. "We did create a couple other opportunities tonight, but we're not firing on our full power. But, we'll keep developing our possession and our scoring chances."
The Mustangs doubled their advantage in the 62nd, as an attempt by freshman forward Cortland Forsyth was handled by a Cal State Bakersfield defender inside the penalty area. Hustedt stepped to the spot and slid Cal Poly's first penalty of the season into the lower left corner of the Roadrunner net. Since the start of the 2009 campaign, Cal Poly has buried all six of its penalty attempts.
The Cal Poly defense, meanwhile, kept Cal State Bakersfield without a shot on goal for the opening 52 minutes. The Roadrunners finally broke through in the 64th, as freshman forward Gyasi Zardes picked out junior midfielder Richard Menjivar, who took two touches before finding the lower-right portion of the Mustang net.
Cal Poly's best remaining chance to further the lead came during the 75th, but a Zamora header from a Cameron Walters cross was saved by Ascheri.
Cal State Bakersfield, which outshot the Mustangs, 16-11, nearly drew level in the 78th, but Zardes – after rounding the Mustang defense on the right side of the penalty area – drew his attempt wide.
Cal Poly, which last season matched program records for Big West victories (six) and highest finish in the conference standings (second), opens league play on Saturday, Oct. 2 at UC Riverside at 7 p.m. Cal Poly has won its last three Big West openers and remains unbeaten versus UC Riverside in six-successive contests.
"We played a terrific non-conference schedule against some great teams and have seen a bunch of styles of play," said Holocher, whose Mustangs have already defeated nationally-ranked Indiana and drawn UCLA. "Cal State Bakersfield is a terrific team and they'll go on to do well. Tonight was good preparation for us against a tough opponent."
