ARCATA, Calif. -- Senior TJ Perez netted the first brace of his collegiate career on Friday in Arcata as the Sonoma State men's soccer team delivered a spirited 2-1 win over Cal State L.A..  Knowing a win was crucial in their attempt to qualify for the CCAA Championship Tournament, the Seawolves gave Coach Ziemer a strong 90 minutes to earn their third consecutive victory against a powerful Golden Eagle squad that was ranked 6th in the first NCAA west region poll.

The win lifts the Seawolves to 6-6-2 overall and moves them to 3-4-1 in conference play.  

Following the game, Coach Ziemer had nothing but positives to say about his team, "I was really happy with how the boys responded. We have obviously had a tough couple of weeks with the fires, but they were focused and ready to play." 

The Seawolves were able to quickly shake off the rust from their 12-day layoff, scoring just over 15 minutes in when Perez struck off a nice bit of teamwork in transition.  Luis Mendoza's through ball to Sebastian Santos was laid off to Perez for the game's first goal - the Santee native's first since a seven-goal season for Sonoma in 2015.

Perez's play impressed the Sonoma gaffer as Ziemer commented, "TJ had a great game!  He's had some injury issues (he missed the entire 2016 season), but I think the rest was good for him.  He's been sharp in training and he's been due to have a breakout game."

While the first goal was nice, Perez checked the box next to breakout when he scored the game-winner in the 76th minute.  Playing from the left side, Kyle Owings was credited with the assist as Perez gathered a rebound and one-timed the ball into the net.  

Giving extra meaning to the brace was the fact that it came against Cal State L.A., the school Perez played for as a freshman and sophomore in 2012 and 2013.

Perez wasn't the only Seawolf to capture Coach Ziemer's eye on Friday.  Playing without Marcus Salvador due to a red card in SSU's last outing, against Cal Poly Pomona, Alek Cucuk stepped in for 90 minutes of brilliant football.  Said Ziemer, "Alek played his best game as a Seawolf.  He helped control the game and got stuck in defensively."  

Ziemer also singled out Luke La Vanway for his defensive work, keeping a very potent CSULA attack at bay.  La Vanway was actually knocked out of the game toward the end of the first half, but returned in the second with a new jersey and an attractive blue bandage wrapped around his head.  

Cal State L.A.'s goal came off a free kick from just beyond the 18 by David Elizaga in the 39th minute.

Ziemer concluded his post-game wrap by saying, "That game could have gone either way.  Both teams played well and had chances, but fortunately we pulled out the win."  

Looking forward, the urgency with which the Seawolves must act isn't lost on Ziemer.  "We have two games remaining and we need to win them to have a chance at the CCAA Tournament.  We are focusing on one game at a time, so next up is Cal State Dominguez Hills.  They are very good so we need to recover and get ready for Sunday."  

The Toros, 10-3-1 entering Friday's action, were ranked 4th in the initial NCAA regional rankings.  

NOTE:  The Sonoma State Department of Athletics and the Men's Soccer program would like to thank Humboldt State University, their administration, coaches, staff, and student-athletes, for their generosity in hosting this weekend's games.  #GoCCAA