ROHNERT PARK, Calif-  A goal in the first half and another in the second provided more than enough offense for Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday as the Toros emerged with a 2-0 men's soccer victory over seventh-ranked Sonoma State in Rohnert Park.  The loss drops the Seawolves to 10-1-2, 7-1-1 CCAA.  The defending national champion Toros improve to 7-5-1, 6-4-1 CCAA.

"You have to give Dominguez Hills credit," said head coach Marcus Ziemer, "They came out and worked their butts off.  This is the first time all season that we have been outworked."

The loss ends a two-game losing streak for the Toros and puts an end to Sonoma's 24-game Seawolf Field unbeaten streak.

The Toros got on the board in the 14th minute when Alex Munoz dribbled down the left side and fired a shot that seemed to knuckle over a helpless Brook Johnson and find the upper right corner of the net. 

The teams would enter the break tied at eight shots apiece, but it would be the Toros bringing more pressure in the second.  Several nice efforts by Johnson kept the Toros at bay until the 76th when Diego Turoldo provided the Toros with a little insurance.

After a shot by Brian Alvarez was saved by Johnson, Turoldo gathered the rebound and blasted a shot into the net to set the final margin and dim the hopes of a Seawolf comeback.

Led by defending national player of the year Kevin Gallaugher, the Toro defense frustrated the Seawolves all game long, holding the Seawolves to a paltry three shots in the second frame.

Said Ziemer, "They deserved to win the game.  They were tough to move the ball against, but we weren't sharp in solving problems."

For the game, the Toros led 15-11 in shots, though Sonoma would have a 9-4 edge in corners.  Cal State Dominguez Hills would commit 17 fouls to ten for Sonoma State and they also held a 3-2 advantage in corners. 

"Hopefully this will be a wake up call for us," said Ziemer.  "We need to show up and give it our all every game."

While it may appear on the surface that the loss to the Toros would take some of the shine off Sunday's showdown between the No. 7 Seawolves and No. 1 Cal State L.A. Golden Eagles, that would not be the case.  The Golden Eagles were upset by Humboldt State on Friday up in Arcata, meaning Sunday's game still has major playoff implications and could decide who will be in the driver's seat to host the NCAA West Regional Tournament in November.

Ziemer concluded his thoughts by saying, "Now we will see what we are made of.  I am confident that we will bounce back and be ready for L.A. on Sunday."

Box Score:  Cal State Dominguez Hills 2, Sonoma State 0




More to follow.