California State University at Northridge
7-9-3, 3-5-2BWC
Cal State Fullerton
8-7-5, 3-4-3BWC
Team Stats
Vasquez, Mark (1)
Turnover, 17 long run, sweeps along grou
38:21
Samayoa,Juan (1)
Turnover into middle of box, along floor
42:04
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
CSUN's Season Ends After 1-1 Tie Vs. Cal State Fullerton
11/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Needing a victory to earn a spot in the Big West Conference Tournament, the CSUN Matadors (7-9-3, 3-5-2 Big West) could not find a late winner and settled for a 1-1 draw against the Cal State Fullerton Titans (8-7-5, 3-4-3 Big West) Wednesday night at Matador Soccer Field. Juan Samayoa equalized for CSUN three minutes after the Titans took a first-half lead but the teams stalemated over the final 65 minutes, putting an end to the Matadors' campaign and sending the Titans into the postseason.
"We have had great support from everyone," said CSUN head coach Terry Davila. "We need to take advantage of everything that we did and everything that we have. And we will."
On a warm and windy night in the San Fernando Valley, it took some time for the two sides to begin to break the other down during the match. The first shot of the contest came off the foot of Edwin Rivas in the 12th minute, but it was blocked by a defender.
Neither team could muster up enough offense to truly test the opposing goalkeeper until the Titans took the lead in the 39th minute. As CSUN was attempting to clear its lines, Mark Vasquez created a turnover for Cal State Fullerton and made a weaving run through the defense. From just inside the box, he slipped a right-footed shot past CSUN goalkeeper Adam Hobbs and into the bottom right corner of the goal.
The momentum for the Titans was short lived, as the Matadors responded just over three minutes later to tie the match at one goal apiece. Searching for space on the right side, CSUN played the ball in to Sagi Lev-Ari near the end line.
Lev-Ari then tried to drop a pass back but a Cal State Fullerton defender got to the ball first. The player attempted a clearance but failed, instead kicking the ball into the path of Samayoa inside the 18-yard box. The sophomore used a deft touch to spin the ball into the lower left corner of the goal past goalkeeper Jeff Salt for his first strike of the season.
The first half ended with the score tied at 1-1 and the Matadors appeared to turn up the pressure in the second 45 minutes.
CSUN won a trio of corner kicks in the 57th minute and on the final one a foul was committed by the Titans in the box, resulting in a penalty. Lev-Ari stepped to the spot but his shot was kicked away by Salt to keep the match even.
In the 69th minute, Nicolas Camacho sent a bouncing shot past Salt but off the post and the rebound header from Edwin Rivas was tipped away. Ten minutes later, Hobbs made the first of many crucial saves to keep CSUN's hopes alive.
A Cal State Fullerton free kick was sent toward the near post on the right side, and as Hobbs went over to defend the shot the ball hit his chest and went loose. The goalkeeper was able to recover, however, and dove on the squirting ball before it could cross the goal line.
Seventy-two seconds later, CSUN's obstacles mounted when Yarden Azulay was sent off for a pair of yellow cards back-to-back. Playing with nine men ahead of him, Hobbs came up huge with two saves seconds apart in the 89th minute. He denied both Vasquez and Marc Fenelus of the chance at the game-winning goal, stuffing their shots from point-blank range inside the six-yard box.
Hobbs finished the night with two more saves in overtime, but neither side scored and the match finished 1-1. CSUN ends the 2014 year with a 7-9-3 overall record, while the Titans are back in the Big West Tournament after missing out in 2013.
Seniors Mynor Giron, Rivas, Azulay and Lev-Ari all competed in their final matches for the Matadors, leaving the program after back-to-back Big West Tournament Final appearances in 2012 and 2013, and the school's first league championship in seven years when they won it all in 2012.