The first Matador goal of the 2010 season was not enough to overcome a three-goal deficit as CSUN (0-3-1) lost 3-1 to San Jose State (4-1-0) in the Cal State Fullerton Tournament Sunday.
San Jose State, the tournament champion, scored the first three goals of the game within the first 30 minutes of the first half.
The first Matador goal of the season came off a penalty kick by freshman Sam Ball in the 33rd minute of the game, after sophomore defender Joe Franco had been fouled from behind in the goal box. CSUN’s first goal came after the Matadors missed on an earlier opportunity to score off a penalty shot by junior Camilo Rojas, which was saved by Spartan goalie Jonathan Lester as he dove toward the left post and managed to just get his fingertips on the ball, deflecting it out of bounds.
As CSUN head coach Terry Davila continues to search for a winning formula, freshman midfielder Carlos Benavides and forward Ball received their first minutes of action in a Matador uniforms, as both were part of the starting lineup.
The Matador offense showed signs of improvement against the Spartans because for the first time this season they outshot their opponents.
Northridge settled in after a horrible first period and outshot the Spartans 10-2 in the second half.
CSUN also dominated the game on corner kicks 9-1 and continued to receive production from Gustavo Villalobos, who has quietly become one of the most consistent players for the Matadors on offense.
Villalobos finished the game with two shots on goal. Junior Camilo Rojas led the Matadors on offense with three shots, one of which was on goal. Defender Joe Franco and midfielder Rene Anguiano were both named to the All-Tournament team.
As for San Jose State, they began the weekend with a 1-0 win against host Cal State Fullerton. The Spartan offense has been clicking on all cylinders as they already racked up 11 goals in just five games during the 2010 season.
The Spartan offense is led by senior midfielder Josh Boemecke, who already has five goals this season and was the first player to score during Sunday’s game against the Matadors within the first 10 minutes of the first half.
Boemecke finished the game with four shots, three of them on goal. Freshman defender Ricky Martin led all players in scoring with two goals coming off just two shots.
The Matadors’ season will not be getting easier any time soon as CSUN enters the latter half of a six-game road trip. The Matadors are still in search of their first win and it will be more than difficult to get it during their next game Friday as they travel to Ohio to take on preseason No.1 Akron University.
