ARCATA – A goal in the 62nd minute was the game winner as the Chico State Wildcats beat the Humboldt State men's soccer team 2-1 on Sunday in Redwood Bowl.
The win improves the Wildcats record to 9-3-0, 7-3-0 in California Collegiate Athletic Association play. Humboldt State falls to 2-7-3, 2-6-2 in conference action.
With the score tied 1-1 at the 61:09 mark, Chico State's Nick Tedrow headed a ball that Jacks' keeper Kyle Verle got a hand on but couldn't control. The ball deflected off the post and in the net for what would turn out to be the game winner.
In the 9th minute the Jacks had the match's first dangerous opportunity to score. Josh Suggs, who led both teams with 10 shots, got loose behind the Chico State defense. Quintin Aguilar threaded a ball onto Suggs' foot, but Wildcats keeper James Stroud stopped the shot.
Four minutes later Chico State got on the board when Luke Palmer took a shot from the right side, just outside the 18-yard box. The ball hit the post on the far side and came right to Tyson Crim who, standing five yards out to put it home for a 1-0 lead.
At the 26:36 mark Crim had a another chance to score. His header from right in from of the goal was parried away by Verle to keep the score 1-0.
With less than a minute left in the half, Tim Haden gathered a loose ball 12 yards out and hammered it to the back of the net sending the match to the half tied 1-1. It was Haden's second goal of the season and the third of his career.
In the second half, the Jacks had the more numerous and dangerous opportunities.
Suggs had four great chances, but couldn't put the biscuit in the basket.
In the 49th minute he got behind the defense and shot an Aguilar's pass wide right. At the 65:47 mark he again got loose down the right side but this time his shot was high. Four minutes later Michael Schmidt took a corner kick that Suggs go to and headed just high.
In the 83rd minute Brian Holmes played a long cross to Suggs who had split two defenders but the shot was high and Chico State came away with the 2-1 win.
HSU outshot the Wildcats 21-to-13 including 11-to-3 in the second half. Verle, who took the loss, made five saves.
“I walked away telling the boys that this type of game (where you outperform the other team and don't get the result) is soccer,” head coach Christian Johnson. “But we, the staff and players, should be proud of the way we played. We fought and played hard for 90 minutes.
“Our offensive production was there and defensively we were pretty organized. All we are asking for is to play with heart and intensity for 90 minutes. If we play this every night our record would certainly be different. And if we play this way moving forward we will have a chance to win every time we take the field.”
