Nov. 5, 2008
Fullerton, Calif. - Cameron Sims' second goal of the night off a pass from Sunghyn Kim with 2:33 remaining in the second overtime period Wednesday night gave Cal State Northridge a 3-2 men's soccer victory over Cal State Fullerton.
The win improved the Matadors' records to 8-6-4 and 4-2-3 to keep their hopes alive for one of the four berths in the post-season tournament. Fullerton fell to 4-14-1 and 1-7-1 in its home season finale.
Sims took a crisp cross inside the penalty box from a dribbling Kim to beat CSF goalkeeper Kevin Puder for an almost identical score to the one the pair teamed up on in the 53rd minute to begin CSUN's comeback from a 2-0 deficit. Ben Cox had tied the match for CSUN with a goal in the 64th minute with an assist from Camilo Rojas. Sims' goals were his fourth and fifth of the season
Fullerton, which also lost to the Matadors by a 3-2 score in overtime on Oct. 18, took a 2-0 lead with two scores bracketing the halftime intermission. Jose Gomez got his first goal of the year in the 43rd minute off a sharp pass from Shay Spitz. The Titans went ahead 2-0 when Mark Nelson dribbled through several Matador defenders and beat goalkeeper Kevin Guppy to the far right post in the 49th minute.
"It turned out to be a very disappointing evening," said CSF Head Coach Bob Ammann. "Once we went up 2-0 I thought our intensity and work rate dropped. These are the tough lessons you go through with so many young players. It is tough to swallow now, but will serve us well in the long run."
Northridge outshot the Titans, 23-9, and hit a post and the crossbar in regulation. Puder denied Sims an earlier game winner in the second overtime with a charge out of the box and also stopped Kim's free kick in overtime from just outside the penalty box.
In the regular season finales on Saturday, Fullerton visits UC Riverside in a battle for sixth place while the Matadors host UC Irvine in a fight for a tournament berth.