California State University at Northridge
6-9-2, 2-5-1
UC Riverside
4-9-3, 3-3-2
Team Stats
Mendoza, Juan (3)
Assisted By: Lomeli, Romario
10 rebounds 25 missed shot, heads into g
90:16
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
CSUN Falls in OT at UC Riverside 1-0
10/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Looking to climb the standings as the end of the season approaches, the CSUN Matadors (6-9-2, 2-5-1 Big West) were unable to score against the UC Riverside Highlanders (4-9-3, 3-3-2 Big West) in a 1-0 overtime loss on Wednesday night at UCR Soccer Stadium. Juan Mendoza scored a Golden Goal for the Highlanders just 16 seconds into overtime to knock off the Matadors.
The match was a defensive showdown all night as the two sides combined for 12 saves. While the match did open up offensively with a total of 33 shots being taken, goalkeepers Adam Hobbs (CSUN) and Ashkan Khosravi (UCR) were the stars of the night for 90 minutes.
UC Riverside started things off more aggressively, forcing Hobbs to make his first of seven saves just five seconds after the opening whistle. The Highlanders kept the Matadors at bay until the 18th minute when Edwin Rivas had his shot blocked by a defender.
CSUN senior forward Sagi Lev-Ari had his first shot of the game saved by Khosravi, who finished with five saves of his own in goal. Carlos Gonzalez added a shot on goal in the 28th minute but the Matadors were unable to test the goalkeeper again until the second half.
At the halftime break, the Matadors trailed the Highlanders in shots 11-5 and Hobbs was forced to make four saves compared to two for Khosravi. Nonetheless, the Matadors started to find their step in the second half.
Nicolas Camacho made Khosravi earn a save in the 51st minute and Rivas had a shot miss over the goal two minutes later. Lev-Ari's second shot of the game missed to the left of goal in the 67th minute as well.
Hobbs came up with his biggest sequence of the night in the 72nd minute as Mendoza and Michael Salazar were each denied in quick succession to keep the game scoreless heading into the late stages. Neither side could find the breakthrough in regulation, however, and the match went into overtime.
It took the Highlanders 16 seconds to collect the game-winning goal as Romario Lomeli's shot was saved by Hobbs but went right back to Mendoza, who headed it into the net. It marked just the second overtime loss of the year for CSUN.
With the defeat, the Matadors now sit three points behind Cal State Fullerton for the final Big West Tournament spot with two matches to play. The Matadors will host No. 14 UC Irvine on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. and the Fullerton Titans on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. The match against the Anteaters will also be Senior Night and the CSUN Men's Soccer program will honor its five senior members in an on-field ceremony prior to kickoff.