ARCATA, Calif. - The Cal State East Bay Pioneers men's soccer squad kicked off its 2024 campaign on Friday afternoon with an intense battle against the Dominican University of California Penguins. Despite a valiant effort, the Pioneers ultimately fell 3-1 in their season opener at College Creek Field, part of the Humboldt Kickoff Classic hosted by Cal Poly Humboldt.
The highly-anticipated season opener between the Pioneers and Penguins unfolded at picturesque College Creek Field as he opening 45 minutes witnessed an enthralling back-and-forth battle, with both teams creating numerous scoring opportunities. It was DU to strike first.
| Dominican 1, Cal State East Bay 0 |
| The Penguins got on the board first when Eric Reis found the net in the 33rd minute, courtesy of an assist from Armando Jimenez. |
| Cal State East Bay 1, Dominican 1 |
| Trailing by a goal, the Pioneers' persistence paid off in the 57th minute when Aaron Farnan equalized with a well-taken strike after driving up the left wing and finding the lower right corner of the net with an unassisted goal. |
| Dominican 2, Cal State East Bay 1 |
| However, the jubilation was short-lived for East Bay as Patrick Zamora Salazar restored the Penguins' lead just six minutes later to make it 2-1. |
| Dominican 3, Cal State East Bay 1 |
| The match took a dramatic turn in the 76th minute when Lex Bernier converted a penalty kick, extending the Penguins' advantage to 3-1. |
Despite a late onslaught from the Pioneers, the Penguins' resolute defense held firm, securing a hard-fought victory in their season opener.
- Farnan's goal was the 11th of his East Bay career. Five of his 11 career goals have come against Dominican.
- George Binda generated the most shots for East Bay in the opener with three total, with one on frame.
- With a pair of shots each for East Bay were Farnan, Drew Gibbons, Alan Gutierrez and Marco Antonio Campos.
- In net, Adan Corona made four saves for East Bay.
- The closely-contested nature of the match was reflected in the statistical analysis, with the Pioneers and Penguins even in shots (16-16) and Dominican with only a 7-6 edge in shots on net.
Cal State East Bay head coach Mike Haswell following Friday's season-opening loss:
We missed some early chances and then fought back into the match after going down a goal but couldn't capitalize on the momentum. Quick turnaround to prepare for Westminster Sunday."
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UP NEXT FOR CAL STATE EAST BAY |
The Pioneers will look to rebound when they take on Westminster (Utah) this coming Sunday at College Creek Field on the final day of the Humboldt Kickoff Classic. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
