SEASIDE, Calif. — Playing a man down for nearly the entire match didn't faze Cal State Monterey Bay.
The Otters delivered one of their most resilient performances of the young season Sunday afternoon, battling No. 1 Cal State LA to a scoreless draw at Cardinale Stadium despite playing with 10 men for more than 78 minutes.
CSUMB moved to 4-1-2 overall and 0-0-2 in CCAA play, while handing the previously perfect Golden Eagles their first non-winning result of the season. Cal State LA entered Sunday 6-0-0, ranked No. 1 in the latest United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II poll and having conceded no goals through its first six matches.
The challenge facing Monterey Bay became significantly greater just 11:44 into the contest when
Sylas Sells was shown a red card, forcing the Otters to play the remaining 78-plus minutes with 10 men.
Instead of folding under the pressure, the Otters dug in.
Goalkeeper
Griffin Welch and the CSUMB back line turned away wave after wave of Cal State LA pressure. Welch made five saves in the opening half alone, including stops in the seventh, 19th and 28th minutes, helping send the match into halftime scoreless.
The Golden Eagles entered the break with a 9-2 advantage in shots, but the Otters had kept the nation's No. 1 team off the scoreboard despite playing virtually the entire half shorthanded.
That defensive effort continued after halftime.
Cal State LA pushed numbers forward and generated 13 more attempts during the second half, but CSUMB refused to break. Welch added another save, while the Otter defense blocked attempts and forced the Golden Eagles into difficult looks throughout the final 45 minutes.
Cal State LA's best opportunity to break through came in the 75th minute when Jose Mariscal put an attempt on frame, but Welch was there once again to make the stop and preserve the clean sheet.
The Otters also defended seven Cal State LA corner kicks and 22 total shots. Only six of those attempts reached the target, with Welch stopping all six to record his second shutout of the season.
Angad Bains and
Jacob Burnison played all 90 minutes in front of Welch, while
Damon Smith logged 88 minutes as the Otter defense weathered nearly constant pressure after going down a man.
The draw was also the second consecutive CCAA point earned by Monterey Bay after opening conference play with a 1-1 draw at Stanislaus State on Friday.
More importantly, the Otters became the first team this season to keep Cal State LA from winning. The Golden Eagles had opened the year with six straight victories, including five shutouts, before CSUMB held the nation's No. 1 team scoreless for 90 minutes — more than 78 of them with only 10 men.
The Otters continue CCAA play on the road next week with a Friday afternoon matchup at Cal State San Marcos.
