The No. 3 Chico State (9-0-2) men’s soccer team tied against the No.7 Cal Poly Pomona Broncos (7-0-3) Friday and defeated the Cal State San Bernardino Yotes (5-2-3) on Sunday, remaining undefeated in overall play.
The Broncos and Wildcats came into Friday’s match with an undefeated record. The Broncos came out early and scored just eight minutes into the first half. The Wildcats evened the match with a goal in the 29th minute by junior defender Preston Moll. Chico State and Pomona both had four shots total in the first half.
The second half was well-fought between the two teams. The Broncos took the lead with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Wildcats were able to maintain their unbeaten record when freshman forward Vas Syrengelas netted the first goal of his career not even a minute later.
Despite the Broncos outshooting the Wildcats 15-2 in the second half, they were able to keep the game tied with the help of junior goalkeeper Emanuel Padilla, who tallied six saves.
The Wildcats were able to pick up a win on Sunday against the Yotes. It was a hard-fought victory that came down to the final minutes in scorching San Bernardino heat.
Sophomore defender Carson Zarate scored in the 73rd minute, breaking the tie with an assist from senior midfielder Adrian Fontanelli. This was Zarate’s second goal of the season, and it was enough to propel the Wildcats to a win.
The Wildcat’s defense was also on display, with a shutout that was highlighted by four saves from Padilla, including a game-winning penalty kick in the 84th minute.
Padilla was awarded his third California Collegiate Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Week for his performance over the weekend. He tallied up 39 saves on the season and recorded his CCAA-leading eighth shutout of the season.
The Wildcats now sit in fourth place in the CCAA, and now turn their focus to next week, where they are set to face Sonoma State on Thursday at 3 p.m. The Seawolves are entering Thursday’s game with a record of (4-5-2). You can watch the game here.
For information about Chico State Athletics, visit the Wildcats home page.
Nick Sanders and Nathan Chiochios can be reached at [email protected]
