TURLOCK — It had seven games to do it, and after Saturday's result, the Stanislaus State men's soccer team looks like it prepared perfectly for the start of conference play by using the entirety of the non-conference schedule.
 
The Warriors won their fourth game in a row Saturday by scoring more goals than they had in six years, beating California Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Cal State East Bay, 6-1, at Warrior Stadium to wrap up non-conference play and send a message to the rest of the CCAA:
 
They're ready.
 
"To put into words where we've come from and where we're going, we knew July 5th was when we could start voluntary workouts with our team headed into this season, and every guy on our team has known and has bought into this understanding that Oct. 1st is when we start our season," said Stanislaus State head coach Morgan Cathey. "Sure, all these games count as records on our win-loss, all these games are important games for us, but they are only important as far as they can be opportunities for us to learn and get better."
 
The Warriors (4-2-1) had four different goal scorers Saturday, including two goals each from Dayne Sturtevant, who notched his second multi-goal game of the year, and Julian Madrigal, who now has three goals in the past three days (two games). Finn Hoffmann (60th minute) and Jake Mendoza ('80) also got in on the scoring for Stanislaus State, both with their first goals of 2021. It was the most goals Stanislaus State scored since Sept. 14, 2015, when it beat Holy Names, 9-0, at Warrior Stadium.
 
"We know now going into Oct. 1st and the start of the CCAA season, it's everything for us," said Cathey. "We feel we've given a perfect effort to be at a point where all 28 of our guys are extremely bought into our game model, bought into what we want this program to represent off the field, and even today was an incredible opportunity for us to learn and to get better.
 
"Even though the score line showed an emphatic result in our favor, we know that there were incredible moments for us to learn today."
 
Madrigal got the Warriors on the board early in the eighth minute. He and Jake Mendoza both got inside the six-yard goalkeeper box for a crossing pass. Mendoza took a sliding shot at the ball, but it was blocked by a Cal State East Bay defender. Mendoza was right there to bury the ricochet, making it 1-0.
 
Sturtevant notched his second game-winning goal of the year and first of the night when he put Stanislaus State up, 2-0, in the 20th minute. It was Mendoza to Madrigal again on the attack, but this time Madrigal passed up the shot and sent the ball laterally to Sturtevant, who scored from the top of the penalty box 18 yards out.
 
All the momentum was on the Warriors' side through the first 19 minutes with a two-goal lead and outshooting Cal State East Bay (1-4-1), 11-0. But the Pioneers' Danil Menshikov sliced through that with a goal to cut the deficit in half in the 20th minute. Menshikov stole a free ball in the corner and lofted it over the head of Stan State 'keeper Sebastian Castellanos' head, who had come out from the net to play the ball, making it 2-1.
 
That goal by CSUEB raised the Pioneers' energy level and stunned the Warriors. And so the game evened out for much of the next 10 minutes. But the momentum swung right back to Stanislaus State when Madrigal was pulled down in the box by CSUEB's Mateo Didomenico and awarded a penalty kick.
 
He converted, beating CSUEB 'keeper Zavier Hajdukovich to make it 3-1 in the 40th minute. The Warriors got back on track after that, dominating the final 50 minutes of the game. They would outshoot the Pioneers, 26-9, on the night and double them up on corner kicks earned (10-5). The Warriors were even called for five offsides infractions, highlighting their relentless offensive attack.
 
"Where we are going is we feel that our guys are in one direction and the arrow has become a lot more focused, and I think what excites every one of us is now when we talk in every moment – pregame, postgame, halftime – everyone understands what we should be doing," said Cathey. "Everybody understands how they can hold themselves accountable, everyone understands how they can hold each other accountable, and that, for me, means we're moving in a great direction, and that direction is where we want to continue to go.
 
"We know there are going to be a ton of bumps along the road in the next six weeks, but we feel like we are prepared for those bumps and that those bumps are going to be amazing opportunities to get as better. We're excited for what's ahead."
 
The Warriors open CCAA play at 4:30 p.m. Friday, hosting Cal State Monterey Bay – whom they tied, 0-0, to open the season in Seaside. Fans can find all live coverage links on WarriorAthletics.com.