MEN'S SOCCER SET TO HOST CAUSEWAY CUP AND CAL POLY MUSTANGS

9/23/2008

HORNETS SET TO HOST CAUSEWAY CUP AND CAL POLY
    Sacramento State will host Causeway rival UC Davis, who is ranked No. 21 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas coaches poll, as well as Cal Poly, who is receiving votes in the poll, in the biggest soccer weekend of the season at Hornet Soccer Field.
    UC Davis (6-1-0) and the Hornets (5-1-1) enter the contest on Thursday afternoon with the best combined record entering a Causeway matchup during Sacramento State’s Division I era (1991-present). Cal Poly (4-2-1) will take on Cal State Bakersfield on Wednesday before embarking north for the Sunday matchup with the Hornets.

TEAM ACHIEVES HIGHEST EVER RANKING IN NSCAA POLLS
    The Hornets remained in this week’s NSCAA/Adidas Far-West Region top 10 poll at the No. 7 position for the third straight week. The ranking is the highest ranking the Hornets have ever achieved. The team has also been ranked for four straight weeks, which passes the number of weeks the team has been ranked in the poll previously in program history (3).

TEAM PLAYING ‘TOP RANK’ SOCCER ON THE STAT SHEET
    As a team, the Sacramento State Hornets are ranked 13th in the NCAA in team goals against average, allowing just 0.42 goals per game. The team also ranks sixth in shutout percentage (0.71), sixth in save percentage (0.919), and 21st in winning percentage (0.786).
    In individual rankings, senior Blake Nunes ranks 55th in the NCAA in goals per game (0.57), while senior Omar Martinez ranks 79th in the NCAA in assists per game (0.43). Freshman Bryan Oliver ranks 12th in the nation in save percentage (0.912), 19th in goals against average (0.482), and 26th in saves (5.17 per match).
    At the conference level, Oliver leads the MPSF in goals against average, save percentage, shutouts and shutouts per game. Nunes leads the conference in game-winning goals (2), ranks second in the MPSF in shots (33), shots per game (4.71), points (8), points per game (1.14), goals (4) and goals per game, while Martinez is the conference leader in assists (3) and assists per game.

HORNETS FALL FOR FIRST TIME TO CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE, 2-1
    Camilo Rojas scored in the 88th minute to give Cal State Northridge a 2-1 victory over the Sacramento State men’s soccer team on Sunday, Sept. 21.
    The Matadors opened the scoring in the 63rd minute, as Dylan Riley centered a pass to Moy Gomez in front of the goal, who fired it into the net to give Cal State Northridge a 1-0 lead.
    Sacramento State provided the equalizer in the 74th minute as senior Omar Martinez connected on a cross from 25 yards out, finding the head of fellow senior Blake Nunes, who headed it into the net, tying the score at 1-1. For Nunes, it was his fourth goal of the season and eighth of his two-year career at Sacramento State, while Martinez provided his third assist of the year on the goal.
    With both teams preparing for what seemed to be an inevitable overtime session, Cal State Northridge was able to provide the game-winner in the 88th minute. Cameron Sims sent a cross in front of the goal that found the foot of Rojas, who beat Hornet ‘keeper Bryan Oliver and tallied the game-winning goal.
    The Matadors outshot the Hornets 19-9, including an 11-6 advantage during the final half of play. Sophomore Ernesto Carranza and freshmen Chris Bettencourt and Matthew Tellez each posted two shots to lead the Hornets, while Cal State Northridge had five players record three shots apiece. Oliver collected five saves in the Hornet goal, while Kevin Guppy recorded two saves for the Matadors.

MEN’S SOCCER TAKES CARE OF SAINT MARY’S 1-0
   Senior Blake Nunes connected on his third goal of the season in the 34th minute, lifting the Sacramento State men’s soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Saint Mary’s on Sunday, Sept. 14 at Hornet Soccer Field.
    Sacramento State controlled much of the first half, beyond a five minute stretch near the beginning when the Gaels produced three corner kicks and kept the ball pinned in their offensive third. The lone score of the contest came late in the half, as in the 34th minute the Hornets were awarded a free kick from about 25 yards out on a Saint Mary’s foul. Hornet senior Omar Martinez served a ball that deflected off of a Saint Mary’s defender onto the awaiting right foot of Nunes, who found the back of the net to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead.
    The second half saw the game played in the middle third of the pitch, with the Hornets having two strong breakaway chances turned away. Freshman Matthew Tellez had an attempted chip over Gael ‘keeper Jason Badger go wide in the 74th minute, while senior Josh Zimbrich had a one-one-on opportunity following a lead pass from sophomore Ernesto Carranza that was saved by Badger in the 89th minute.
    Shots were close for the two teams, with Sacramento State taking 15 shots to the Gaels 12.
    Freshman Bryan Oliver produced the fourth clean sheet of his career in just five starts in goal for the Hornets, while adding five saves.