Box Score When a soccer team starts a season by losing its first three matches, it usually takes a season-long effort to dig out of the hole created by that slow start, and the narrative tends to become whether the team can claw back into contention.

Of course, sometimes it doesn't.  After an ugly-on-paper 0-3 start to 2011, Coach Ron Pulvers and his CSUSM men's soccer team knew their side was much better than their record suggested, and now have vindicated that belief by pulling to 3-3 in the matter of a single week.

“It feels good, we feel like we're back to level and we're clawing our way back into a potential playoff spot,” said Pulvers following the match.  “It's great to see that the guys have the spirit, commitment, and confidence to battle back.”

The latest win came in dominating fashion at Cal Tech, a 5-0 romp that puts the team in position to effectively start its season anew with 9 games to go.

Cal Tech drops to 0-2 on the year.

The Cougars dominated play all 90 minutes on Saturday, turning up the heat with a four-goal second half.  CSUSM out-shot Cal Tech 21-2, putting 5 shots on net.  Keepers Andrew Castro and Kane Leonard combined to earn the shutout, though neither was called on to make a save.

After scoring three goals in the first 15 minutes of its last two matches, Pulvers' side took a more measured approach to Saturday's contest.  The first goal came in the 31^st minute, and Scott Rice and Richie Kaiser set up Alex Brunsell for his first goal as a Cougar, a header into the back of the net.

That would do it for the first half scoring, but the floodgates would open in the second.  Coming off a two goal effort against Point Loma, Eric Lopez continued his emergence as a top threat on offense for the Cougars, banging home a pass from Alex Rodriguez in the 52^nd minute.

Brunsell would record his second tally of the match in the 75^th minute on a shot that deflected off a Cal Tech defender.  As the game wound down, Sterling Petersen jumped on a defensive miscue to record his first goal of the season from about 18 yards out, and a minute later Andrew Podruski blasted his own shot past the keeper to finish the scoring at 5-0.

CSUSM will play this Tuesday at home against Hope International.  There will be a pre-game tailgate on The Clarke Terrace at 3:00 PM, kickoff at 4:00 PM on Mangrum Field, then CSUSM's first-ever home volleyball match at 8:00 PM at Escondido High School.