T
he Cal Poly men’s soccer team unloaded with four goals in picking up their first win of the 2009 season with a 4-0 shutout over the Sacramento State Hornets at Alex G. Spanos Stadium on Friday in front of 2,032 fans.
With the win the Mustangs improve to 1-4 while Sacramento State falls to 3-2-1.
“Our team really needed this win tonight against a very good Sacramento State team, said Cal Poly head coach Paul Holocher. “We have played a tough schedule so far and have learned some hard lessons, but our outlook must remain positive.”
Holocher added “Tonight was a gutsy performance and the guys played more aggressively going forward and they played to win.”
Two first half goals by midfielder Jacob Hustedt was all the Mustangs would need as freshman goalie Brett Finkelstein shutout the Hornets with three saves in picking up his first win in the posts.
Hustedt scored his first goal in the 13th minute of play when he split two Hornet defenders near the top of the box with a nifty foot move and drove the ball into the left side of the net beating Sac. St. goalie Ryan Kenny.
Hustedt scored his second goal of the game and his second of the season when he took a feed from Chris Gaschen in the 33rd minute and hit his shot from 10 yards out into the net.
The Hornets missed on a scoring change when Ernesto Carranza hit the top of the crossbar from 30 yards out on a free kick.
The Mustangs held a 2-0 lead at the break, outshooting the Hornets 8-5.
Cal Poly defender Patrick Sigler added his first goal of the season and the team’s third of the game in the 56 minute when he headed a ball off a Gaschen pass into the back of the net.
Michael Hocker made it 4-0 late in the game (89:03) when he drove a ball into the back of the net from 12 yards out for an unassisted goal.
Overall the Mustangs outshot the Hornets 12-9 while Sacramento State had two corner kicks to Cal Poly’s one. The Mustangs were whistled for 13 fouls compared to just three for the Hornets.
Holocher concluded, “we are keeping our current record in perspective as the goal was always to play a tough early season schedule to get ready for Big West play. We are building for conference where we all know it will be an absolute dogfight.”
The Mustangs return to action on Sunday at 1 p.m. when the team hosts the Spartans of San Jose State.