Sophomore midfielder Emmanuel Perez, senior forward Sean Goode, and freshman forward Reagan Rice each found the back of the Sacramento State net during a 14-minute period in the second half as the Cal Poly men’s soccer program rolled past the Hornets at Alex G. Spanos Stadium Wednesday evening, 3-0.
Senior goalkeeper Simon Boehme chalked up three saves in his seventh career shutout for Cal Poly (5-7-2, 1-3-1), which improved to four points in the Big West Conference standings to match UC Davis (8-4-3, 1-3-1) for seventh place. The Mustangs now trail sixth-place Sacramento State by just two points. Cal Poly also sits just three points out of third place, a spot in the table jointly occupied by CSUN, Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara.
Cal Poly closes its seven-match home schedule at Spanos Stadium versus Big West leader UC Irvine on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 5 p.m. The Anteaters remain in first place on 13 points, followed by second-place UC Riverside on nine.
The top six programs qualify for the Oct. 31, Nov. 3 and 10 Big West Tournament.
Cal Poly, which outshot Sacramento State, 20-6, found itself locked in a stalemate into the 69th minute. That’s when Goode played a ball onto goal for Perez, who notched his third strike of 2018 at the left post.
The Mustangs then doubled the lead five minutes later as junior forward George Grote bested his defender to a ball on the Sacramento State end line and squared a pass across the goal mouth to Goode, who drove his team-leading fifth goal of 2018 into the back of the net.
Eight minutes from full time, Rice capped the scoring with his first collegiate goal. After senior forward Jared Pressley played a pass upfield, Rice slipped his defender fired a shot toward the right post.
Cal Poly opened Wednesday’s match with three shots inside the opening five minutes, including a third-minute attempt from Goode that was saved by Hornets goalkeeper Ryan Curtis.
Goode was turned away once more on 16 minutes and, defensively, Cal Poly kept Sacramento State to one shot attempt inside the opening 22 minutes. Boehme was called into just one first-half save in the 23rd as Cal Poly outshot Sacramento State during the opening 45 minutes, 11-3.
Boehme returned in the second half to produce a 47th-minute save from defender Tyler Moss and a 50th-minute stop off the foot of midfielder Dane Schnell.
-Provided by Cal Poly
