Box Score: Sonoma State 4, Cal State Stanislaus 3

ROHNERT PARK, Calif- Tied 3-3 with 15 minutes remaining to play, Trevor Hurst took a pass from Cam Vickers and punched the ball into the net for his second game-winner of the weekend, as the Seawolves came from behind to defeat visiting Cal State Stanislaus, 4-3, in an energized, emotional battle of two teams fighting for the second spot in the CCAA standings. Hurst added two assists in the match, helping SSU rise to 8-4-0 overall and take over second place in the North Division at 6-4-0. The Warriors fell to 6-3-3, 5-3-2 CCAA.

"That was an incredible win today," exclaimed head coach Marcus Ziemer. "We showed a lot of character to come back from two goals down. This was a great game for the fans, too. Not only did they get to see seven goals and a win by the home team, but they also got to see two radically different styles of play."

The Warriors got off to a fast start, scoring twice in the opening 23:50 of the match. It looked as if they would take a two-goal lead into halftime, but a Cal State Stanislaus foul set up a Sonoma State free kick from about 30 yards out on the near side. Hurst lobbed the ball into Justin Ferreira, who redirected the ball to Ebby Lombardi at the mouth of the goal, where Lombardi headed the bouncing ball into the back of the net with just two seconds remaining.

Said ZIemer, "the goal by Ebby Lombardi right before halftime was crucial because it got us back in the game."

It seemed as if the Seawolves would continue their momentum into the second half, playing with increased energy and emotion. It would skyrocket following a score by Aaron Glover at 51:02, taking a long pass from David Holleran.

Just as Sonoma State finished celebrating Glover's first goal of the season, they took the 3-2 lead one minute later. Hurst notched his second assist of the afternoon with a cross beyond the far post where Erick Delgado connected on a shot from near the end line, past the diving Warrior goalkeeper Javier Rosales. Also, Delgado's first of the 2010 campaign.

The lead held for only 11 minutes, however, as Stanislaus' Brady Marshall curved a left-footed shot in and around Seawolf keeper Juan Sosa on the far post. It was his second goal of the game, beginning what would be a back-and-forth battle for the remainder of the game.

At 75:07, Hurst capped off a stellar performance this weekend, netting his second game-winner of the weekend.

"It is always a challenge to play against a team that plays so direct and tries to play off of our mistakes," Ziemer added. "They kicked the ball out of bounds intentionally on each of their five kickoffs and tried to push up and force a mistake by us. They are crafty and creative in transition when they win the ball, so it was important that we defended quickly when we lost the ball."

Statistically, the match was just as close as the score. Sonoma State led by one in shots (16-15) while Cal State Stanislaus led by one in corner kicks (5-4) and saves (3-2). It was a very physical match, featuring 39 fouls and six yellow cards. The Warriors, however, were whistled on two-thirds of the penalties (26-13). Sosa made two saves, matching Warriors netminder Rosales.

"Our game plan was to beat them by controlling the ball and keeping possession, even in the back," said Ziemer. "It is much safer to kick it forward and take no chances, but I believe that if we are sharp and circulate the ball, then we are able to control the game and create a lot of chances. It is also enjoyable to watch."

As they did on Friday, the Seawolves avenged an earlier loss to their opponent -- SSU lost 2-1 to the Warriors in a tightly-contested match two weeks ago in Turlock.

Sonoma State (18, 6-4-0) took over sole possession of second place in the CCAA North Division standings, a point ahead of Cal State Stanislaus (17, 5-3-2). Chico State (21, 7-3-0) remains three points ahead of the Seawolves after a 2-1 victory on Sunday at Humboldt State.

The Seawolves will now hit the road for five of its last six regular season contests, starting with a Friday afternoon matchup at Cal State L.A. at 4:30 p.m.