San Luis Obispo, Calif. -- After tallying five shots in the first half, the Matadors were able to get just one in the second half. Sean Franklin’s 89th-minute attempt, however, was just inches wide and represented the final Northridge chance. A 39th-minute Cal Poly score was the difference as Northridge fell 1-0 in Big West action.
The Matadors dictated the action through much of the first half, relying on stingy defense to spur the offense. The only defensive lapse in the Northridge end resulted in the Mustang score on the 38th minute, with Jeff Meyer Jr. streaking past Robert Pate and accepting a perfect pass from Mario Fernandez. He easily put it past Matador keeper Kevin Guppy for the Mustang’s only score.
Sean Franklin almost tied the game up late in the second period. In the 89th minute, Franklin took a Michael Clegg service and took one step and shot far post. His attempt skated along the turf and looked like it would sneak inside the post, but instead slipped past wide.
The Mustangs matched the Matadors’ defensive intensity for the full 90 minutes. Like the Matadors, Cal Poly gave up just the one legitimate shot attempt, and the sides combined for just 12 shots. Guppy and the Mustangs’ Eric Branagan-Franco each collected three saves for the match. Northridge committed just six fouls, one off their season-low. Cal Poly was whistled 19 times for fouls and one Mustang was shown the yellow card.
Northridge returns to action on Saturday when they travel to UC Riverside for a Big West contest. Kick off is scheduled for 3 p.m.
