FULLERTON, Calif. – Fullerton tied its season-high in goals scored Saturday night as they defeated Sacramento State 3-1 at Titan Stadium.
With the win the Titans keep hold of first place in the Big West South Division at 2-2 in conference play with six points. UC Irvine is in second at 1-1-2 with five points.
The Titans took the lead in the 33rd minute on Samuel Goni's third goal of the season on a perfect shot from just inside the 18-yard box to the top left corner of the net off of an assist from Ross McPhie.
McPhie added a goal of his own just eight minutes later in the 40th minute for his sixth goal of the season which is tied for second in the Big West. McPhie's three points in the match give him 15 points on the year, also tying him for second in the conference.
Fullerton dominated the first half, outshooting Sacramento State eight to three while also earning two more corner kicks. The Hornets narrowed the gap in total shots in the second half, finishing with nine while the Titans finished with 12. Sacramento also earned four corner kicks in the second half to the Titans zero to finish with five compared to Fullerton's three.
Sophomore Rei Dorwart all but put the game in the refrigerator in the 70th minute with his first goal of the season. Dorwart received a perfect pass from Angel Ortiz and headed the ball past the rushing goalkeeper to get a wide open shot on net.
FINAL: @CSUFMensSoccer now 5-0 vs Sac State at home with the 3-1 win!
— Big West M-Soccer (@BigWestMSOC) October 8, 2017
⚽️ Samuel Goni (33' via Ross McPhie), McPhie (40'), Rei Dowart (70' via Angel Ortiz).#TusksUp | #PlayBig ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/FMW9eBgFob
Sacramento State did score a goal in the 73rd minute to make the score 3-1 but the Titans seemed to focus even more on the defensive side following the goal and didn't give up another good opportunity in the final 17 minutes.
Sam Molz and Goni both had great opportunities in the to add goals in the second half but were just off the mark with their shots.
"This is huge for us, just confidence wise," said Head Coach George Kuntz. "It's a big result to get the confidence of the guys back up and show we can compete with the best in the conference."
The Titans will now start divisional play beginning Wednesday as they will host CSUN in a rematch of the Big West Championship game from last season.
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