LA JOLLA, Calif- Julio Madrigal netted the game-winner a minute into double overtime to give Cal State Dominguez Hills a 2-1 win over Sonoma State in the CCAA Tournament semifinal on Friday afternoon in La Jolla. The Toros (14-6-1) will advance to the conference championship to play Cal State L.A. on Sunday. The Seawolves, also 14-6-1, will now await word on a berth in the NCAA West Regionals. They entered the week as the No. 2 team in the region, with four teams qualifying.
"It was a great game. I thought we played well and it could have gone either way," said SSU head coach Marcus Ziemer.
Things started out well for the Seawolves as Andrew Bailey got SSU on board first. Bailey, crowned CCAA Player of the Year last night, took a ball from Eric Larson, beat a defender and blasted the ball past CSUDH goalkeeper Kyle Polak.
The Toros found the equalizer just two minutes before halftime when Devin Toohey headed it in off a cross from Humberto Lopez. Said Ziemer, "I thought we let our foot off the gas a little bit at the end of the first half. That goal really changed the game."
Both teams had opportunities to take the lead in the second half, but solid goalkeeping by Polak and SSU's Clark Rupp kept the score 1-1.
Lopez had a good shot at ending the game in the first overtime when he set up for a free kick just outside the box. His ball cleared the wall and looked like it might curve into the upper right corner of the net before it clanked off the corner of the goal and was cleared by SSU.
CSUDH's game-winner occurred just 1:40 into the second OT when Madrigal gathered a rebound off a Toro shot and easily popped it into the goal.
Cal State Dominguez Hills had a 25-14 shot advantage, but the play was much more even than shot count might indicate. CSUDH also led 7-4 in corners while SSU had a 21-19 advantage in fouls.
Sonoma State was playing the game without three regulars, Nathan Medina (red card), Eric Lafon (injury), and Mike Asaro (injury). Vince Morrow was also injured in the first half and did not return.
Ironically, the result was a mirror image of last year's CCAA championship final when SSU beat CSUDH 2-1 in double overtime on a Vince Morrow goal.
Sonoma State will hear word from the NCAA Regional committee on Monday as to if they will compete in next weekend's regional tournament. Seattle Pacific entered the weekend as the No. 1 seed, followed by No. 2 Sonoma State, No. 3 Cal State Dominguez Hills, and No. 4 Cal State L.A.
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