Fresno State Athletics
Men's Soccer Hosts Sacramento State
9/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
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This Week
Fresno State hosts Sacramento State this Sunday at 3 p.m. The Bulldogs have won nine out of the last ten meetings between the two, dating back to 1980.
What Just Happened
Fresno State split matches over the weekend against Cal State Fullerton and San Francisco. Freshman Andrew Gregorio and senior Kupono Low each scored against the Titans to give FS its second home win of the season. Against the Dons, FS fell behind 2-0 in the second half, but mounted a comeback. Junior midfielder Joshua LeRoy connected for his first goal of the season to cut the lead in half. The Bulldogs would come no closer, though, losing 2-1 against San Francisco.
All-time Against Cal State Fullerton
Fresno State is 13-16-2 all-time against the Titans. The Bulldogs are looking to snap a three-game losing streak against CSF that dates back to 1995. The last six times the two have met, Fresno State has scored just five goals all coming in the Bulldogs' two victories. The Bulldogs were two minutes away from their third shutout victory of the season, but Cal State Fullerton scored to foil those plans. Last Sunday, San Francisco downed FS, 2-1. The Bulldogs played the Dons tough through the first half, but fell behind 2-0 in the second half. FS rallied behind a goal by junior Joshua LeRoy, but was denied its second straight road victory.
All-time Against Sacramento State
Fresno State is 9-1-2 all-time against the Hornets. The only loss against Sacramento State came in 2000 in the second match against a-then MPSF foe. Before that loss the Bulldogs had reeled off nine straight wins. FS is 0-1-1 against Sacramento State in their last two meetings.
Fresno State vs. Sacramento State - The Last Time
(Oct. 18, 2001- FRESNO, Calif.)
Despite allowing 20 shots, the Bulldogs tied 1-1 against the Hornets in double overtime. Fresno State led 1-0 late in the match, but were denied victory when Sacramento State scored with 50 seconds left in regulation. The teams combined for nine shots in overtime, but had to settle for a tie. Noah Delgado led the Bulldogs with four shots. Forrest Smith scored the goal for FS on a pass from Mat Herold. Ten different Hornet players attempted shots on the afternoon.
Give and Take
In the first nine matches the Bulldog defense has been solid, posting a 1.2 GAA. Fresno State, however, is averaging just one goal per match. FS has shut out its opponents twice this season and has held other teams to one goal three times. Fresno State has been shutout three times this season and has been held to one goal three times this season. The Bulldogs have lost or won eight of the first nine matches by ono or less goals. The only match that was decided by more than one goal was a 2-0 loss against Cal State Northridge.
Ace in the Hole
Fresno State was crowned 2002 ProRehab Aces Soccer Classic champion. The Bulldogs tied against Evansville 2-2 in double overtime and defeated Louisville 1-0. Sophomore midfielder Dan Oka was named the Offensive MVP. Oka scored the game-winning goal in the match against the Cardinals. Seniors Derek Lopez, Jeremy Proud and Ni?o Rivas were named to the all-tournament team. Fresno State and South Carolina went 1-0-1 in the two-day tournament, but FS scored three goals during the classic to only two by South Carolina.
Goal Rush Fever
Loyola Marymount captured the 2002 Goal Rush Classic championship. The Lions went 2-0 in the tournament, defeating Ohio State 2-1 and UC Irvine 3-1. LMU became the second West Coast Conference school ever to win the classic. The first was San Francisco, who captured the Goal Rush Classic title in 1986. Lion midfielder Andres Murriagui earned Offensive MVP honors after scoring the eventual game-winner in the championship match. The Bulldogs' Jeremy Proud earned Defensive MVP honors after helping Fresno State allow a tournament-low one goal. He became the first FS player to earn Defensive MVP honors since 1998 when Ricardo Ramirez and Jeff Fluharty shared the award.
Against Ranked Opponents
The Bulldogs are 0-1 against ranken opposition this season. In their only match, they dropped a 1-0 decision against No. 15 Portland at home. Last season the Bulldogs tied in their only match against a ranked foe with a 2-2 score versus No. 4 Connecticut in double overtime.
What About the Road?
Fresno State is 0-2-2 this season on the road. Fresno State has tied against Saint Mary's and Evansville. The Bulldogs do have a win away from Bulldog Stadium in a neutral site match against Louisville. FS's rally fell short against USF, as the Bulldogs fell 2-1. Against Cal State Northridge, FS fired 22 shots, but fell 2-0 against the Matadors. With most of their matches taking place away from home last season, the Bulldogs felt comfortable in foreign surroundings, posting a 4-2-2 record. Four of those matches were on neutral soil, which Fresno State was undefeated with a 2-0-2 mark. The Bulldogs started the first five non-home matched undefeated with a 3-0-2 record, outscoring their opposition 17-4 in that stretch. The Bulldogs never lost more than one match in a row in non-home matches last season.
