SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., -- The Cal State East Bay men's soccer team suffered a tough 2-1 setback loss in their California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) road match against San Francisco State Friday afternoon in Cox Stadium.
 
The Pioneers move to 2-8-1 on the season and a 0-6 in CCAA play while the Gators improve to 6-1-1 on the year and 1-1-1 in conference action.
 
SF State's offense was powered by two first half goals by Rainer Plantinos and Jonny Villeda. Plantinos scored his team-leading eighth goal in the 22nd minute. The ball was chipped into the box, where Plantinos tracked it down in front of the keeper and finished to his left to give SF State the early lead. Villeda's goal in the 41st minute came off the put back from a Gator shot that slammed off the left post. A wide open Villeda reeled back and finished to the near post.
 
East Bay stepped up their offensive aggression and production after the intermission. The Pioneers threatened early in the second half with a pair of corner kicks in the 53rd minute.
 
East Bay came up with a goal in the 74th minute. Two Gators defenders converged on the ball after a Jonathan Cuevas shot. The Gators goalkeeper came out to make the stop but instead the ball bounced around and Jared Johnson put it into the back of the net with the assist from TJ Butler.
 
For Johnson, a senior from Los Altos, Calif., it was he second consecutive game with a goal. And for Butler, the senior transfer from Adelphi University, it was his second helper of the 2017 season.
 
Grant LaFluer paced the Pioneers with six shots on the afternoon. Johnson finished with four attempts and Cuevas added three shots of his own. East Bay held the shot advantage 13-12 but it was SF State who put seven shots at the frame to only three from CSUEB.
 
Junior Omar Coronel got the start in the goal and recorded a career-best five saves for East Bay.
 
The Pioneers will return to Hayward for a weekend home stand against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday, October 6 at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 8 against Cal State L.A. with an 11:30 a.m. start. Both games will be held at Pioneer Stadium.