MEN'S SOCCER SECURES FIRST MPSF WIN OF 2010, KNOCKS OFF SEATTLE 2-0

10/15/2010

Cesar Castillo has allowed just two goals in the last eight games.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Behind Chris Bettencourt's two goals, the Sacramento State men's soccer team won it's first Mountain Pacific Sports Federation game of the season on Friday afternoon, beating Seattle 2-0 at Hornet Soccer Field. The Hornets improve to 6-3-3 (1-1-2 MPSF) on the year while the Redhawks fall to 3-6-3 (1-2-1).

The Hornets had hit a rough stretch in the season as they failed to score in their first three MPSF games of the season, playing to draws in two and falling at Seattle last Sunday. But Bettencourt made sure his squad would not lose to the Redhawks again, as he tallied his fourth and fifth goals of the season in the second half to lead head coach Michael Linenberger's squad to victory.

Just over 10 minutes after halftime in the 56th minute, goal keeper Cesar Castillo booted a ball down the field that skipped off the turf and over the Seattle defense. Bettencourt ran the ball down near the top of the box and fired a shot high that grazed off the outstretched finger-tips of sprinting Seattle keeper Jake Feener and rolled into the empty net.

That score broke a 349:34 minute scoreless streak for the Hornets, which began after Rory O'Day scored in the 51st minute against Santa Clara on Sept. 26.

But Bettencourt was not done for the night. In the 80th minute, Almog Strikowski moved the ball into the middle of the field, drawing a pair of defenders with him, when he slotted a pass through the defense to Bettencourt who finished the ball to the far post. It was Strikowski's first career collegiate assist.

Bettencourt now leads the Hornets with 13 points on a team-high five goals and a team-high three assists.

The Hornets had a 25-16 edge in shots and took five corner kicks to the Redhawks' four. Feener made 10 saves for the Redhawks while Cesar Castillo stopped six shots for the Hornets.

Castillo lowered his goals against average to 0.69 after his fifth clean sheet of the season. The true freshman now sits in second place in program history for shutouts in a season, behind Gary Davis' seven in 1995.

Castillo has allowed just two goals in the last eight games after allowing five in his first two collegiate starts.

The Hornets will be back in action on Sunday when they travel to Cal State Bakersfield for a match at 1 p.m. The Hornets and Roadrunners played to a scoreless draw in their first meeting this season.