CHICO – It had the look of a matchup between two of the top collegiate soccer programs in Northern California heading in. Chico State returns 15 players from last season’s squad that earned a spot in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament. Holy Names is coming off back-to-back-to-back conference titles and a trip to the NAIA National Championship Tournament last season. But it was the Wildcats who proved to be the heavyweights, throwing all the punches in a 2-0 exhibition match victory Thursday night at University Soccer Stadium.
Luis Martinez and Nick Tedrow both scored as the Wildcats outshot Holy Names 32-9, including a 14-1 advantage in shots on goal, in a match they completely dominated from the opening kickoff. Chico State took the first seven shots of the match and never stopped firing. Only a number of strong plays from Holy Names goalkeeper Lars Maalen Johansen kept the score close.
Chico State starting goalkeeper Michael Keohane did not have to make a single save in the first half. True freshman James Stroud played the second half and turned away one shot and scrambled nicely to snuff out a rare Holy Names opportunity deep in the box.
The Wildcats began applying pressure from the opening whistle and opened the scoring 5:59 into the match when Ryan Nevarez’s long throw in skipped through the box and to the feet of Martinez, who shielded a defender draped on him and redirected the ball with his back foot just inside the near post.
Tedrow, set up nicely by last year’s leading assist man – Kyle Crain – made it 2-0 in the 56th minute. Crain quickly cracked a long shot on a change of possession that knuckled and bounced off the crossbar. Tedrow touched it once to his left on the run before volleying it into the near corner.
The Wildcats wrap up their exhibition season with a match at UC Davis Sunday morning at 11. They’ll then host the Chico State Wildcat Invitational August 27-31 to start the regular season. Chico State plays Academy of Art that Friday at 7 PM and Saint Martin’s that Sunday at 7 PM.
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