SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos men's soccer team increased its unbeaten streak to four matches with a 5-0 stomping of Humboldt State in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play on Friday afternoon in The Cage.
Four Cougars scored their first collegiate goal, CSUSM logged the most goals it has had in a match since Nov. 1, 2014, and the team improved to 3-2-1 overall and 2-0-1 in CCAA play. Since starting the year 0-2, the Cougars are 3-0-1 since Sept. 12 while outscoring opponents 10-1 in the process.
Parker Hodges,
Diego Perez,
Kristian Finsen and
Callan Little all got on the scoresheet for the first time in their respective CSUSM careers, but it was junior
Bryan Morrison who broke open the scoring early on.
Following a patented long throw in from
Robbie Dirks, the ball skipped around in the box before
Jacob Cintas slid it back to Morrison at the top of the box. Morrison laced it with his left boot and it snuck inside the left post in the third minute.
In the 19
th,
Zach Olow bent in a outswinger from the left side for Hodges. Hodges, all of 5'6'', beat his defender to the header and pounded it off the bottom of the crossbar and in.
The Cougars went into the break up 2-0, oftentimes referred to as the most dangerious lead in soccer.
However, CSUSM left no doubt in the second stanza.
Daniel Alexander's chip caused fits for a HSU defender, who skipped the ball directly in the path of Perez. Perez, who missed his entire freshman season due to injury, ran onto the end of it and fired a shot high and to the near post to make it 3-0 in the 47
th.
Victor Gonzalez's impressive run down the left side set the table for Finsen, who tapped in Gonzalez's firm cross inside the sixth in the 76
th.
Little showed some class down the right flank, taking on a defender before cutting inside and firing a shot off from a tight angle. He rocketed it past the keeper's left arm and into the top corner of the net in the 79
th.
Justin Tesar notched his third shutout of the year while making a pair of saves.
HSU drops to 3-5-1 overall, 1-4-0 in CCAA play.
The Cougars host Sonoma State on Sunday at 2 p.m. in another CCAA contest, marking the end of their six-match home stand.