TURLOCK, Calif.---The No. 1 Stanislaus State men's soccer team extended its unbeaten streak to 13 matches with a 2-0 shutout victory over Chico State on "Break the Record Night" Friday evening at Warrior Stadium. The win
improved the Warriors to 12-0-1 overall and 6-0-1 in the CCAA, keeping them tied for first place in the conference standings with No. 16 Cal State Dominguez Hills.
First Half
Stanislaus State dictated play throughout the opening half, generating several scoring chances while holding Chico State to just one shot in the first 45 minutes. The Warriors controlled possession and tempo but couldn't break through before halftime despite a 7-1 shot advantage and three corner kicks. Goalkeeper
Angel Ruiz-Hernandez and the back line of
Ian Reis,
Federico Barbieri,
Christian Brenes,
David Lozano, and
Ryan Rosas kept Chico off the board to send the match into halftime scoreless.
Second Half
The Warriors came out strong after the break and finally broke through in the 59th minute when
Gerardo Flores found the back of the net for his eighth goal of the season, assisted by
Samuel Villanueva. Just eight minutes later, Flores struck again, converting his second goal of the match—and ninth of the year—on a build-up play from
Christian Brenes and
Emmanuel Duran. Ruiz-Hernandez made two saves to secure his seventh shutout of the season as Stan State outshot Chico 15-6 and finished with a 5-2 edge in corner kicks.
Warrior Notables
- Gerardo Flores recorded his second brace of the season and now leads the CCAA with nine goals and five game-winning goals, while ranking second in points (21).
- Samuel Villanueva tallied his ninth assist of the year, tying him for the CCAA lead and moving into second all-time in Stan State history with 13 career assists.
- Angel Ruiz-Hernandez earned his seventh shutout of the season to take sole possession of the CCAA lead in shutouts. He now ranks tied for third all-time with 12 career shutouts and sixth with 102 career saves.
- In the single-season record book, Flores is tied for fifth with nine goals and seventh with 21 points, while Villanueva's nine assists are tied for the second-most in a season.
- The Warriors improved to 12-0-1 overall and 6-0-1 in CCAA play, extending their unbeaten streak to 13 matches.
CCAA Soccer Championship Tournament
The six-team CCAA Soccer Championship Tournament begins with first-round matches on Sunday, Nov. 9, at the site of the higher seeds. The semifinals and finals will be played at Cardinale Stadium in Seaside, on the campus of Cal State Monterey Bay, Friday through Sunday, Nov. 14–16. The top two seeds receive a first-round bye, and the tournament champion earns the CCAA's automatic berth to the NCAA Championships. Stanislaus State is currently tied for first place in the CCAA standings with No. 16 Cal State Dominguez Hills, both holding 6-0-1 conference records heading into Sunday's matches.
Up Next
The Warriors will travel to Seaside this Sunday, Oct. 26, for an 11:30 a.m. CCAA matchup at Cal State Monterey Bay. The Otters defeated UC Merced 1-0 earlier today in Seaside.
