FULLERTON, Calif. — Cal State Fullerton's Sebastian Cruz converted on a penalty kick with 67 seconds remaining in regulation following a foul in the box and the Titans escaped with a 1-0 Big West Conference victory over visiting UC Davis on Saturday night at Titan Stadium.
It was the seventh one-goal decision in 13 matches overall — and the third 1-0 defeat this season — for the Aggies, who fell to 6-7 overall on the year and 2-2 in league play with the loss, while Cal State Fullerton improved to 3-7-2 overall and 1-3 in conference matches.
UC Davis dominated the first half offensively, unleashing 12 shots attempts and holding a 12-5 advantage in that category through the first 45 minutes. Senior
Robert Mejia accounted for half of those attempts, finishing with six in the opening half, as the two teams played to a scoreless draw.
The Aggies took the first seven shot attempts of the match — including an
Andy Velasquez strike that was turned away by the left post and three more that were stopped by goalkeeper Andrea Bonavia.
Both teams attempted seven shots in the second 45, but it was the late foul call that would tip the scales in favor of the Titans as Cruz converted at the 88:53 mark for the only goal of the match. UC Davis would have one more attempt on a corner with 12 seconds remaining, but the shot missed high to the left as time expired.
Goalkeeper
Charles Janssen, making his first career start, stopped five shots, while Bonavia finished with six saves in recording the clean sheet.
UC Davis makes a return trip to Orange County next week to take on UC Irvine on Wednesday (Oct. 13) at 7 p.m., before hosting CSUN on Sunday (Oct. 17) at 1 p.m. to close out the weekend.
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Centrally located between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, over 700 student-athletes across 25 teams enjoy an unrivaled undergraduate experience at the fifth-ranked public school in the country.
Ranked annually in the nation's top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, UC Davis and its innovative Aggie EVO System helps student-athletes develop passions, connect with a comprehensive network of alums and industry leaders, gain real-world experience and thrive as a young professional following a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school.
