No. 14 Toros and No. 6 Seawolves Stage Another Classic in CSUDH's 1-0 Win

Box Score

Carson, CA -- It took 81 minutes to decide, but when it was over, Greg Piechota's blast that tipped off the fingertips of Sonoma State keeper Brook Johnson and into the net was enough to propel 14th-ranked Cal State Dominguez Hills to a thrilling 1-0 win over 6th-ranked SSU, a fitting end to yet another classic battle between two of the most talented programs in the nation.

Both teams played with the intensity befitting such a match-up between national powers, with CSUDH tallying 8 shots to SSU's 6 in the first frame, and each team tallying two corners.

The Seawolves nearly got on the board in the 35th minute as Ben Langwidth slipped behind the Toro defense, but his rocket from 15 feet was denied by CSUDH keeper Miguel Benitez's one-handed diving stop.

CSUDH, matching the speed of SSU's senior-heavy offense, worked for its own good look in the 65th minute as Jordan Rover got behind the SSU defense, but Johnson was up that challenge as he stoned Rover's attempt.

In the 82nd minute of a scoreless contest, Marco Pulido dropped the ball off to Piechota 15 yards in front of Johnson, and Piechota sent his blast high enough to tip off Johnson's fingertips, but low enough to touch the bottom of the net for a 1-0 lead.

The Seawolf offense turned up its attack, but CSUDH's defense stood up to the onslaught, keeping the shutout intact.

Benitez tallied 4 saves for the Toros, compared to 6 for the visitors, as CSUDH out-shot SSU 9-3 in the pivotal second half.

The Toros, now 11-1-1, 6-1-1 CCAA, hit the road next weekend to battle Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus, before returning home on Wednesday, October 15, to host UC San Diego.

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