No player had a bigger hand in the Chico State men’s soccer team’s impressive season-opening win at Western Washington University than Matt Hafizi.
The senior midfielder broke the seal on the 2019 season, heading a one-hopper inside the right post in the 27th minute to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead and then drew a foul that led to Chico State’s second goal in the 77th minute of its 2-1 win at Harrington Field.
The Wildcats’ second scheduled match of the weekend, Saturday at Seattle Pacific, was delayed by lightning before eventually being ruled a no-contest.
A reserve for most of last season, Hafizi finished the campaign with two goals—match winners against Cal State Dominguez Hills and Stanislaus State—and one assist. The product of College Park High School in Valencia and Los Positas Community College made the most of his second career start for the Wildcats on Thursday.
Fellow seniors Samuel Licona and Mikey Hirsch helped set up Hafizi. Licona took a throw-in from near the left corner flag and made a nifty move to create the space to slip a pass through two defenders to Hirsch, who was lurking on the edge of the 18-yard box. Hirsch took the pass and turned and still had time to survey the scene before ripping a cross to Hafizi at the top of the six yard box. Hafizi was closely marked but beat his defender to the ball, heading it nearly straight down and bouncing it inside the right post.
Chico State doubled its lead in the 77th minute on a set piece set up by Hafizi and Alex Fluitt, who maneuvered down the right flank before passing to Hafizi, who drew a foul 40 yards out from goal.
Servando Higuera floated the free kick deep into the opposite side of the six-yard box that was headed high into the air by a Vikings defender. Hogbin, who had bodied his way into the box, retreated back and blasted a side-winding volley off the turf and into the far upper netting.
Western Washington is picked to finish second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference this season by the conference's coaches.
The Wildcats will play their 2019 home opener Thursday at 7 p.m. against Concordia (Ore.). That will be the second game of a doubleheader following the women's team's 4:30 p.m. match against Dominican.
