November 4, 2005
Box Score
Turlock, CA -- Senior Francisco Corona (Paramount, CA/LA Harbor JC) gave head coach Joe Flanagan a fitting birthday present Friday afternoon at Warrior Field, scoring both goals in the Toros' 2-1 overtime win over a game Cal State San Bernardino squad in the second men's semifinal. The win gives CSUDH, now 16-3-2, the opportunity to capture its fifth CCAA Championship in seven years on Sunday when it battles Sonoma State, a 3-1 winner over UC San Diego in the first men's semifinal.
CSUDH played a sluggish first 45 minutes, attempting only four shots in the frame. Behind Corona, however, the Toros would play inspired ball after intermission, continually putting pressure on the CSUSB defense. At 56:00, Corona would find paydirt as he would collect a loose ball 20 yards from the CSUSB net and, in one motion, separate himself from the crowd with a single dribble and send a screamer past Coyote goalkeep Jeff Canada to the near post for a 1-0 Toro lead.
The Coyotes, victims of a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of CSUDH on September 24, would not fold, however, knotting the contest just 11 minutes later. After an initial cross deflected off Coyote Miguel Espinoza, Daniel Rodriguez and sent his shot just past the outstretched arms of Toro goalie Kyle Polak (Huntington Beach, CA/CS Fullerton) to even the contest, where the score remained through the end of regulation.
In the extra frame, the Toros wasted little time. After CSUDH took the first shot of the extra period, CSUSB's Canada would come off his line to challenge a Kei Kamara (Lawndale, CA/Leuzinger HS) blast, only to have Kamara's shot deflect to the feet of Corona, who positioned himself directly in front of the net. With only space and time in between a trip to the conference final, Corona, the CSUDH all-time career leader in points, tapped in his second goal of the game to give the Toros the win.
"We were a little sluggish to start and weren't the most inspired team," says Flanagan of his team's first half performance. "When Frank scored the first goal, we started to play well and get a little energy, going forward and creating chances. We only had eight shots in regulation which is a low number for us. We just have to be more hard working and get a little more activity to create more chances."
On Sunday at 11:30 a.m., the Toros take on SSU, which handed CSUDH one of its worst defeats in recent history in a 6-0 drubbing in Rohnert Park just three weeks ago.
"It's something we've been waiting for after the shellacking they gave us up there," Flanagan says of the CCAA Championship match against Sonoma State on Sunday. "They have an outside chance to make the NCAAs so they really have something big to play for, but we're not even thinking about the NCAAs right now. We're thinking about winning another conference championship because it's gotten away from us the last couple of years, and the fact that we want to play Sonoma. We think we've definitely got an answer for the game they gave us up at their place."
