Graduate midfielder Colin Hyatt’s fourth-minute goal provided the Cal Poly men’s soccer program the early lead Sunday afternoon versus CSUN and junior midfielder Emmanuel Perez’s ninth goal of 2019 capped the scoring as the Mustangs topped the Matadors inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium, 2-0.
Sophomore goalkeeper Carlos Arce-Hurtado matched a season high with six saves for Cal Poly (6-6-1, 2-2-0), which rose to fourth place in the Big West Conference standings on six points with Sunday’s win. After dropping their opening two Big West matches, the Mustangs now trail Big West leader UC Irvine (6-4-5, 3-0-1) by just four points with three matches remaining.
Cal Poly opens its final road trip of the regular season at Sacramento State on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. The trip concludes at UC Irvine on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m.
Cal Poly notched Sunday’s game-winner with just three minutes, four seconds gone on the clock. After winning a corner kick on the right side of CSUN’s goal, junior Freeman Dwamena took an attempt that was headed toward the right post by fellow defender Andrew Forth. The ball found Hyatt, who headed past CSUN goalkeeper David Preys to record his first goal as a Mustang.
The Mustangs held CSUN without a shot attempt for the opening 24 minutes and without a shot on frame until Arce-Hurtado twice turned away forward Wolfgang Prentice in the 31st and 32nd minutes. Arce-Hurtado then chalked up saves in the 38th and 43rd minutes to preserve Cal Poly’s 1-0 lead into halftime.
Six minutes after the restart, Cal Poly doubled the lead through Perez, who took a cross from senior captain Diego Alonso at the right post and tapped his ninth goal of the year past Preys.
Arce-Hurtado added saves in the 55th and 80th minutes to record his third shutout of the season.
Sunday’s victory marked Cal Poly’s first home win against CSUN since a 2-1 triumph on Oct. 5, 2014.
-Provided by Cal Poly
