Cal Poly Men's Soccer Team Falls in Big West Tournament Semifinal, 3-1

Wednesday, November 11

Fullerton, CA

7 pm

11-4-5, 5-1-4

Cal State Fullerton

12-7-1, 6-3-1

Team	1	2	Final F
Cal Poly	1	0	1
Cal State Fullerton	1	2	3

Cal Poly Men's Soccer Team Falls in Big West Tournament Semifinal, 3-1

11/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

POSTMATCH REACTION: HEAD COACH STEVE SAMPSON

POSTMATCH QUOTES

FULLERTON – Freshman forward George Grote's first collegiate goal (below) provided the Cal Poly men's soccer program an early lead, but Cal State Fullerton scored three unanswered goals – including two in the second half by midfielder Diego Sanchez – as the Mustangs were eliminated from the Big West Conference Tournament in Wednesday's semifinal stage at Titan Stadium, 3-1.

Big West Goalkeeper of the Year selection Wade Hamilton recorded a pair of saves for Cal Poly (11-4-5), which outshot Big West South Division champion Cal State Fullerton (12-7-1) 12-10. Cal Poly, however, conceded six corner kicks to the Titans inside the opening 20 minutes of the second half – the fourth of which was converted by Sanchez into the 52nd-minute game-winning goal.

Bidding to make the program's first Big West Tournament title match appearance, Cal Poly will instead wait to see if it is an at-large selection for the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The field of 48 programs will be unveiled on Monday, Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. PT. The Mustangs have not appeared in the NCAA Tournament since 2008.

Cal State Fullerton, meanwhile, will visit Big West North Division champion UC Santa Barbara in Saturday's Big West Tournament title match.

The Mustangs, whose 1-0, opening-round victory versus UC Irvine on Nov. 7 marked the program's first Big West Tournament victory in six tournament appearances, matched a program single season record with 11 overall victories.

Cal Poly, which finished second in the Big West North Division with its highest point total (19) in three seasons, lost Wednesday versus a Big West opponent for just the second time in 12 matchups and for just the first time in regulation. Overall, Cal Poly's loss was just its second in the past 14 outings.

During Wednesday's matchup, Cal Poly forward John Chronopoulos elicited a fifth-minute save from Titan goalkeeper David Elias before senior midfielder Matt LaGrassa was stopped in the 26th.

The Mustangs eventually found the back of the Titan net on 30 minutes with a pass across the penalty area bouncing off a Cal State Fullerton defender and landing for Grote (above), who fired past Elias for his first collegiate goal.

Cal Poly, however, sustained its lead for less than seven minutes as a ball played into the Mustang penalty area was ruled to have gone off the arm of sprawled junior defender Jack O'Connor. Titan midfielder Julian Okai converted the penalty to level the matchup.

Into the second half, Cal State Fullerton produced three corner kick opportunities before scoring off the fourth as a cleared ball fell for Sanchez, who lashed his first goal of the night from outside the penalty area and into the top left corner of the Mustang net.

Mustang senior forward Chase Minter forced Elias into one of his three saves just a minute later, but Cal State Fullerton completed the scoring 21 minutes from full time as a cross from the right side of goal by midfielder Ronaldo Pineda fell for Sanchez, who tapped his team-leading eighth goal of 2015 past the left post.