TURLOCK, Calif.---
Jose Ponce and
Kenneth Solares each scored their first goals of the season as Stan State defeated Central Valley rival UC Merced 2-1 Sunday afternoon at Warrior Stadium. Ponce gave the Warriors a 1-0 first-half lead before Solares stole the ball and delivered the game-winner in the 71st minute after the Bobcats had tied the match. The victory gave Stan State three valuable points in the CCAA standings and its first conference win of the season.
FIRST HALF
Stan State came out attacking, generating three shots in the opening 13 minutes.
Adrian Yepez had an attempt blocked in the seventh minute before Solares sent a shot wide seconds later. Solares forced UC Merced goalkeeper Angel Joaquin into a save in the 12th minute before sending another attempt wide in the 13th.
The Warriors broke through at the 23:55 mark when Ponce scored his first goal of the season to give Stan State a 1-0 advantage. The unassisted goal was Ponce's first of the season after entering the match with three assists.
UC Merced continued looking for the equalizer, but the Warrior defense held firm.
Dylan Isasi made a save on Christian Khanishian in the 10th minute, while the Bobcats sent several other attempts off target. Stan State carried its 1-0 lead into halftime despite UC Merced holding a 6-5 advantage in shots. The Warriors held a 2-1 edge in shots on goal.
SECOND HALF
UC Merced came out pressing after halftime and tied the match at the 51:51 mark when Daniel Gaona scored his second goal of the season to make it 1-1.
The Warriors responded with several scoring opportunities.
Gerardo Flores forced Joaquin into a save in the 54th minute before sending attempts high in the 55th minute and wide in the 62nd.
Stan State regained the lead at the 70:11 mark when Solares stole the ball and scored his first goal of the season to put the Warriors ahead 2-1. The unassisted goal proved to be the game-winner.
The Warriors continued applying pressure after taking the lead.
Hugo Canedo and
Colin Davis had attempts blocked in the 75th minute, while Davis sent another attempt wide.
Alexis Cervantes also had an opportunity in the 78th minute.
UC Merced made a late push for the equalizer, but Isasi stopped Nacio Gutierrez's attempt in the 84th minute to help preserve the victory.
Both teams finished with 13 shots and four shots on goal. Stan State outshot UC Merced 8-7 in the second half, while the Bobcats held a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks.
WARRIOR NOTABLES
- Stan State improves to 3-5-5 overall and 1-3-3 in CCAA play, while UC Merced falls to 4-5-3 overall and 3-5 in conference action.
- The victory was Stan State's first CCAA win of the season and gave the Warriors six conference points.
- Ponce scored his first goal of the season and now has five points on one goal and three assists.
- Solares stole the ball and scored the game-winner in the 71st minute for his first goal of the season. He led the Warriors with four shots, including two on goal.
- Isasi earned his third victory of the season, recording two goalkeeper saves while allowing just one goal.
- Stan State's defensive unit of David Lozano, Eric Reis, Christian Brenes, Federico Barbieri, Jose Tizoc and Hugo Canedo helped limit UC Merced to just one goal in Sunday's victory. The Warriors held the Bobcats scoreless over the final 38 minutes, including the closing 20 minutes after taking the 2-1 lead, to secure three important CCAA points.
- Stan State improves to 3-1-4 at Warrior Stadium this season.
- The Warriors have won both all-time meetings against UC Merced, outscoring the Bobcats 6-1 after last season's 4-0 victory.
- Stan State snapped a seven-match winless streak with Sunday's victory.
CCAA STANDINGS
With five regular-season matches remaining, Stan State remains in contention for one of the seven spots in the CCAA Tournament following Sunday's 2-1 victory over Central Valley rival UC Merced. The Warriors improved to 1-3-3 in conference play with six points, sitting just three points behind seventh-place Cal Poly Pomona, which has nine points. The Broncos will visit Warrior Stadium Thursday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m.
Cal State LA leads the CCAA with 22 points at 7-0-1, followed by Cal State San Bernardino with 18 and Menlo with 13. Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State San Marcos each have 12 points, while Cal State Dominguez Hills has 11 following Sunday's 1-1 draw with Cal State East Bay. Pomona occupies the seventh and final postseason position with nine points, followed by UC Merced with nine, East Bay with eight and Stan State and Fresno Pacific with six apiece.
The top seven teams advance to the 2026 CCAA Men's Soccer Tournament, with the No. 1 seed receiving a first-round bye into the semifinals. First-round matches will be played Sunday, Nov. 1, at the higher-seeded teams' home sites, with the semifinals Friday, Nov. 6, and the championship match Sunday, Nov. 8, at Kellogg Stadium in Pomona.
UP NEXT
Stan State continues its two-match home stand Thursday, Oct. 15, when the Warriors host Cal Poly Pomona at 4 p.m. at Warrior Stadium. The match will be streamed live on FloCollege, with Kyle Morrison providing play-by-play on Blue Chip Broadcasting.
The Warriors then hit the road for two CCAA matches, facing Menlo on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 3 p.m. at Wunderlich Field in Atherton and Chico State on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. at University Soccer Stadium in Chico.
Stan State returns home for Senior Night against Cal Poly Humboldt on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. at Warrior Stadium. The Warriors will recognize eight seniors —
Christian Brenes,
Federico Barbieri,
George Riberal,
Gerardo Flores,
Emmanuel Duran,
Sergio Garcia,
Cameron Belandres and
David Lozano — prior to their final regular-season home match.
The Warriors conclude the regular season Thursday, Oct. 29, at Fresno Pacific at 2 p.m. at Ramirez Field in Fresno.
