SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – The fifth-seeded Cal State San Marcos men's soccer team (6-7-5) overcame a two-goal deficit and won 4-3 in a penalty kick shootout to eliminate fourth-seeded Cal State San Bernardino (9-3-7) following a 2-2 draw in the first round of the CCAA Tournament on Sunday at Premier Field.
 
GOALS
CSUSB – 7' Julian Vazquez (Assisted by Tony Negrete)
CSUSB – 65' Anthony Morales (Assisted by Tony Negrete)
CSUSM – 69' Efren Nunez Dominguez (Penalty Kick)
CSUSM – 81' Brando Oros (Assisted by Efren Nunez Dominguez)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• CSUSB struck early in the seventh minute. A cross-field pass from midfield on the left side by Tony Negrete to Julian Vazquez on the right side was shot from the top right corner of the box and into the left side of the goal to put the Coyotes up 1-0.
• The Cougars heavily outshot the Coyotes in the first half at 8-2, while both teams put one shot on goal. CSUSM also had the only three corner kicks for the period.
• The Coyotes went up 2-0 in the 65th minute. In the left side of the box, Negrete made a pass to Anthony Morales at the top left corner, who immediately put a low shot into the bottom right corner of the goal.
• After a CSUSB foul and yellow card in the box, Efren Nunez Dominguez took the penalty kick and put a shot into the right side of the goal to cut CSUSM's deficit to 2-1 in the 69th minute.
• On a free kick outside the box on the right side, Nunez Dominguez sent a cross to the left side of the six-yard box, where Brando Oros headed the ball over the keeper and into the right side of the goal to tie the game at 2-2 in the 81st minute.
• Still tied 2-2 after 90 minutes, the game saw two scoreless overtime periods, sending the contest into a penalty kick shootout.
• Tied 3-3 in the shootout after CSUSB missed on its fifth attempt, Jacob Arellano came through on CSUSM's fifth try with a shot into the right side of the net to send the Cougars to the CCAA Tournament semifinals.

 
QUICK KICKS

• CSUSM has now advanced to the semifinals of the CCAA Tournament twice – both times on penalty kicks in a first-round match. The Cougars previously eliminated then-No. 11 Chico State in 2023 after winning 5-4 in a shootout following a 1-1 draw.
• Nunez Dominguez's goal was his team-leading ninth of the year, putting him into a four-way tie for the fourth most in a single season at CSUSM. He's now one shy of tying the program's single-season record held by Sullian Tobin (2014), Brandon Zuniga (2009) and Bradley Seidenglanz (2006).
• Oros' goal was his second of the year, both coming against CSUSB.
• The Cougars ended the game with the edge in shots (19-13), corner kicks (7-4) and possession (54%-46%) while the Coyotes had the advantage in shots on goal (7-4).
• The Cougars have tallied at least 14 shots in each of the last five games and have taken seven corner kicks in each of the previous three contests.
• CSUSM and CSUSB previously tied 2-2 in non-conference action in San Marcos on Sept. 25.

 
UP NEXT
CSUSM will head to Seaside for a semifinal match against top-seeded No. 9 Cal State Dominguez Hills (11-2-4) on Friday at 1:30 p.m. at Cardinale Stadium on the campus of Cal State Monterey Bay.