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Men's Soccer Triumphs in
Thrilling Home Opener; Cougars Defeat CPP 2-1 |
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A wild crowd of Cougar fans went home happy Friday, as the men's soccer team pulled out a last-second 2-1 win against the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos.
It was the first-ever home match for the men's team, and it did not disappoint. While the squad looked overmatched in its first game (a 3-2 loss to Cal Baptist), it was clear from the beginning that the Cougars were on the same level as Cal Poly, despite the Broncos having huge height advantage and former U.S. World Cup player Paul Caliguiri as head coach. But CSUSM coach Ron Pulvers had his squad ready for the challenge. Throughout the game, Cal Poly tried to exploit its height advantage by playing long balls down the field; but the cagey Cougar defense held strong. Goalkeeper Trent Painter punched the ball out of the box in numerous potentially dangerous situations, and the team did a good job of limiting second-chance opportunities and counterattacking. CSUSM had the best scoring chance of the first half, as midfielder Miguel Jacobo received a pass from the top of the box, made a nifty move, and hit a shot on-target that was knocked away by Broncos' keeper Thomas Ryan in the 45th minute. With the game scoreless entering the second half, the Cougars turned up the intensity. Controlling the game in the 60th minute, they finally broke through and got on the scoreboard. Forward Michael Nuovo made an amazing run through the Bronco defense, getting into the box and leaving the ball off for Curtis Marcikic, who knocked it past the outstretched keeper to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead. The Cougars came close to expanding the lead in the second half, as Nuovo continued to shred Cal Poly's defense and create chances for himself and his teammates. Despite plenty of close calls, the game was still 1-0 in the 85th minute, when Cal Poly finally beat the CSUSM defense. A ball was played into a large crowd in the box, and the Broncos' Andy Bertolucci poked it into the net; though it may have went off a Cougar player. With just a few minutes remaining, overtime appeared imminent. However, Michael Nuovo had one more run left in him. In the final minute of the game, Miguel Jacobo cleared a ball downfield, and Nuovo out-ran the deepest Bronco defender, controlled the ball, and slipped it under the keeper. The Cougars dodged one last effort by the Broncos, holding on for a thrilling 2-1 victory. Upon the final whistle, the crowd of University Village students rushed the field to celebrate with the Cougar team. The large and rowdy group had created a party atmosphere throughout the contest, starting chants ranging from the World Cup-style "Ole! Ole, ole, ole!" to synchronized Howard Dean screams. Many Cougar players commented on how blown away they were by the crowd, so hopefully the energy can continue for Cal State San Marcos' next home game, a match against Hope International at 5:30 PM on Monday. |
