Box Score Stockton, Calif. – The men's soccer team got back to their winning ways Sunday night after taking down the Sacramento State Hornets 3-0. The Orange and Black out-shot the visiting Hornets 23-4 in the contest to help propel them to 2-2 on the year.
"We had more chances tonight and we just the ball in the back of the net," said head coach Ryan Jorden. "We didn't concede a silly goal like we did the other night and when you do that you put yourself in a good position to win games."
The Tigers saw themselves with a handful of offensive opportunities all game. In the 11
th minute
Julio Cervantes fired a shot that Hornet goalie James Del Curto couldn't smother; allowing the impending rebound to find an open
Anthony Orendain who had a good look but his shot just went around the right post.
In the 25
th minute Orendain had another promising look when he was driving down the right side of the field, but he got a little too much foot on it and the ball bounced off the far post, keeping it scoreless. Finally, right before the end of the half in the 41
st minute
Julio Cervantes got one past the diving Del Curto to put Pacific on the board. Sophomore
Wouter Verstraaten dished a perfect pass to the streaking Cervantes who dribbled past the defender and fired off a shot toward the far side of the goal to break the scoreless tie.
The back and forth battle continued in the second for these two teams. In the 55th minute a Hornet hand ball gave the Tigers a free position right outside the box. Captain Andres Ochoa lined up to widen the lead, but his shot sailed high. Seven minutes later Cervantes looked to score with style in an attempt of a bicycle kick but the ball hit the corner of his foot and went outside the near post.
In the 78th minute sophomore Camden Riley netted his second goal of the season to put the Tigers up 2-0. A header by Verstraaten in the middle of the box found an open Riley who turned toward the goal and fired the ball right past the Hornet goalie. Johnatan Rico-Contreres joined the scoring party in the 86th minute after Tristan Blackmon found him streaking toward the goal for the easy tap in.
In his first game back after sitting out for a red card, goalie Curtis Goldsmith shut down the Hornets offense all night. The 'keeper logged two saves and refused to allow Sacramento State any offensive momentum in the process of getting his first shutout of the season.
The Tigers continue play next Friday at home against UNLV at 7 PM. Live stats and video will be available.
Be sure to follow @PacificMSoccer on Twitter and @Pacific_Soccer on Instagram for the latest news and updates on Pacific Men's Soccer.
