FULLERTON, Calif. – Jesse Vega headed a deflected shot off the crossbar in the fifth minute of play to net the only goal Cal State Fullerton would need to beat UC Davis, 1-0, on Friday night in Big West Conference soccer action at Titan Stadium.
Cal State Fullerton improves to 5-6 on the season and 2-1 in conference, while UC Davis falls to 4-6-1, 1-2.
"We feel that in order for us to be successful we have to press and then play very solid defense," head coach Bob Ammann said. "When we do that it creates offense for us and that's what we need to continue to do."
The deflection, off a shot by Colin Okirie, had UC Davis goalkeeper Omar Zeenni on his heels when it hit the crossbar and Vega used a height advantage to redirect it on the header.
The Titans played the final 8:30 minutes of the match a man down as a red card was issued to Amara Soumah, but the team defensive effort was able to hold off the Aggies attack.
"So proud of the my players again tonight," Ammann said. "Our team defending was excellent. We have really matured as a team. The struggles and experiences we went through the first couple weeks has given us the confidence to finish games off. When a team is desperate and you're playing a man down, it really tests your fortitude and commitment. I thought we did a great job grinding out the result."