NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — The CSUN men’s soccer team (7-7-2, 1-3-1 Big West) took a first-half lead against Sacramento State but surrendered five second-half goals in a 5-1 loss Saturday night at Matador Soccer Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Matadors threatened early, with Kayvon Monfared forcing a save in the 14th minute and Dave-Ryan Tankou putting a shot wide in the 18th.
Jorge Solorzano converted a penalty kick in the 30th minute to put the Matadors ahead. After a back and forth beginning of the match, there was a foul in the box by the Hornets at the 29:29 mark. The senior took the PK and converted, his fourth goal of the year.
After a red card on Justin Sosa a minute later, the Matadors had to play the rest of the match a man down. Despite the disadvantage, the Matadors carried their 1-0 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Sacramento State responded with five unanswered goals.
CSUN generated 20 shots, including seven on target, but Sacramento State goalkeeper Lucas Bost made six saves to help preserve the victory.
The Hornets took the lead in the 59th minute when Giles scored his second goal of the night. Evan Battistessa helped set up the play, finding Reyneveld on the left side before Reyneveld’s header created the opportunity for Giles to finish.
Sacramento State extended its advantage in the 65th minute. Reyneveld delivered a service from the right, and Nick Strangio redirected the ball into the net from eight yards out to make it 3-1.
CSUN continued to look for opportunities to get back into the match. Monfared, Tankou and Francisco Garibay each tested the Hornets’ defense during the second half, but Sacramento State kept the Matadors off the scoreboard.
Giles added his third goal of the match in the 80th minute, finishing a cross from Reyneveld on the left side of the box. He completed the four-goal performance in the 86th minute, scoring off a pass from Ronan Rattigan to cap the scoring at 5-1.
NOTES OF THE GAME
The Matadors finished with a 20-17 advantage in shots,
Sacramento State held an 8-7 edge in shots on target.
Bryan Castaneda recorded three saves for CSUN.
Daniel Garcia and Messiah Antwi played the full 90 minutes.
ACCORDING TO HEAD COACH TERRY DAVILA
“It’s tough. I thought it was a tough red card, and that really changed the whole complexion of the game. When you’re in a big game like this with points on the line, a decision like that can have real consequences. It’s a hard way to lose and a disappointing way to lose. I wish we could have played the game without the red card. [On Solorzano’s PK]. Jorge has a lot of guts to take that penalty. He converted and we’re proud of him for having that courage.”
UP NEXT
CSUN’s next game is a week from today on Halloween at UC Santa Barbara. The Matadors will take on the Gauchos at 7:00 p.m. at Harder Stadium and will be streamed live on ESPN+.