Cal State Fullerton men’s soccer fell 2-1 to Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday at Titan Stadium, closing its home schedule with a difficult loss on senior night.
The Titans faced a difficult second half after senior midfielder Fernando Valenzuela received a red card in the 35th minute. Despite the disadvantage, CSUF continued to compete and scored late through junior Jose de la Torre, but could not find an equalizer in its final home game of the season.
“What I’m most proud of is the guys didn’t quit,” said Head Coach George Kuntz. “They battled the entire way through the final whistle.”
The red card changed the game’s momentum, according to Kuntz, who disagreed with the decision but acknowledged that disciplinary calls are part of the game. He said the team had discussed avoiding costly calls throughout the season and described the loss as another learning experience for a relatively young group.
CSUF entered halftime tied 0-0, but the Roadrunners scored less than a minute into the second half. Lorimer Bouman found the net in the 46th minute off an assist from Mpawenayo Jackson, putting the Titans behind.
Bakersfield extended its lead in the 71st minute when Filip Arras converted a penalty kick. Kuntz said CSUF believes it should have received a penalty kick of its own before the opposing team was awarded one, another sequence he felt shifted the game.
The Titans continued pressing for a response after Cal State Bakersfield received a red card in the 83rd minute of the game. CSUF had an opportunity to push forward with both teams now playing with 10 men.
De le Torre delivered in the 87th minute, scoring to cut the deficit to one. The midfielder finished with three shots on target, while sophomore goalkeeper Asger Hemmer recorded seven saves to keep CSUF within reach. The Titans however were outshot as they finished with 10 shots, five on goal, compared to 17 shots and nine on goal for Cal State Bakersfield.
Although CSUF created late chances, the team could not complete the comeback. Kuntz praised the player’s effort, particularly given the challenge of playing short-handed for most of the match.
“As far as teams that I’ve had here, this team is high character, high work ethic, and they deserve better,” Kuntz said.
The match marked the final home appearance for CSUF seniors. Kuntz’s message to the team remained the same throughout the season.
“Play every game like it’s your last, every game week, you leave it all on the field and I thought they did,” Kuntz said.
CSUF will close its regular-season schedule on the road against Cal State Sacramento on Saturday, Oct. 31. With the home schedule complete, the Titans will look to apply the lessons from senior night and compete for three points in their final game.
Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.