SAN MARCOS, Calif. - The Cal State San Marcos men's soccer team will wonder how it came away without a goal in a 1-0 overtime loss to visiting The Master's College on Friday evening at Mangrum Soccer Field.
The Cougars dwarfed the Mustangs in shots in the second half and extra period, 13-2, but the only stat that mattered proved to be TMC's Jamison Kropilak's goal in the 97th minute that handed CSUSM (4-1) its first loss of the season. After an 0-4 start, TMC (2-4) has won its last two matches.
CSUSM will rue its opportunities in front of net throughout the latter part of the contest. Credit must be given to TMC goalkeeper Kyle Cunningham, who made seven saves between the pipes and came up with a key block in overtime on a rip to the far post frrom
Eric Lopez.
Louie Farfan's curler to the right post off a wall pass from
Angel Mora missed a tad wide in the 70th minute, and Lopez was stonewalled on consecutive trips down the field by Cunningham.
The levee appeared it would break in the closing moments of regulation time, as the Cougars were able to pull apart the TMC defense and bring Cunningham off his line on multiple occasions. CSUSM had a couple of serious opportunites as the seconds ticked away.
The Cougars continued to spend a lot of time in the Mustang end during the extra stanza. However, the Mustangs took advantage of their first chance, as Humphrey Mahowa skated around the left edge on a counter attack. He played a ball across the six and Kropilak pounded it into the top of the net against the run of play.
CSUSM travels to Concordia (Calif.) to face the 10th-ranked Eagles on Wednesday in Irvine before hosting Biola and Rocky Mountain on back-to-back days next weekend.