Box Score Matches like Sunday’s 1-1 draw reminded all in attendance why Chico State-Sonoma State is among the best rivalries in collegiate men’s soccer.
The teams entered the duel tied atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s North Division and left University Soccer Stadium in the same boat after 110 riveting minutes of soccer that featured a red card on each team and seven other bookings.
Jorge Cervantes’ first goal in the Chico State uniform tied the match in the 56th minute, answering Taylor Varnadore’s free kick around the wall from 25 yards in the 43rd minute.
Sonoma State played a man down for 38-plus minutes after Kelly Davila drew a red for “violent conduct” during a free kick into Chico State’s box in the final seconds of the half.
Just 10:07 into the second half the Wildcats took advantage, stringing together a number of nice passes before Cervantes sent a header home at the mouth of the goal. Cody Levar got things rolling with a clever spin with the ball at his feet near the right sideline and a pass to Matt Hurlow near the corner. Hurlow’s cross was a bit long, but Octavio Guzman recovered to get a head on it, sending it back into the mouth of the goal. Sonoma State goalkeeper Beau Diaz, out to defend Guzman, could not recover in time to threaten Cervantes, who simply redirected the ball into the back of the net.
The Wildcats almost took the lead in the 64th minute but Kramer Runager’s second strong header was saved off the line by a defender. Soon after, Sonoma State Head Coach Marcus Zeimer sent his best striker, Varnadore, back to play center back.
Wildcats defender Jake Ward was shown his second yellow in the 84th minute, killing the Wildcats one-man edge. But the Wildcats kept the pressure on as Cervantes nearly notched a brace before Diaz saved his near-bicycle kick with a minute left in regulation.
The last good chance for either team came in the second overtime. Hurlow, who had the Wildcats’ match-winning overtime goal at Sonoma State nine days prior, nearly notched his second golden goal in his second ever appearance in the rivalry with just 5:20 to play. He worked his way past two defenders and hit a blast toward the near post that Diaz pounced on nicely.
Both teams are now 5-2-2 overall and 4-1-2 in the CCAA and hold a sizeable advantage of over Cal State Stanislaus, which sits in third in the North Division.
A match that started slowly picked up steam quickly in the final third of the first half. Akwafei Ajeakwa hit the left post with a blast from the top of the box in the 33rd minute and Runager rammed a header saved by Diaz three minutes later.
Ward’s first booking of the day set up a Sonoma State free kick late in the half and Varnadore bent the restart around the wall and inside the post to put
the Seawolves ahead 1-0.
Chico State’s Luke Palmer drew a yellow on a hard tackle just inside the midfield stripe, stopping the clock with five seconds left in the half. But after the ensuing free kick sailed into the box and the horn sounded to end the half, Davila was the recipient of the sixth booking in the last 11:07 of the half and fist red card.
Though still tied atop the CCAA North Division with Sonoma State, the Wildcats walk away knowing they own the tiebreaker advantage thanks to their 1-0 win in Rohnert Park last Friday.
But they’ve got seven matches left to play, only two of which are at home. Sonoma State, meanwhile, is home for four in a row before finishing the season with three straight on the road. The teams share six remaining opponents: Cal State East Bay, Cal State Monterey Bay, Cal State San Bernardino, UC San Diego, and Cal State Stanislaus. Sonoma State also has to travel to face perennial CCAA powers Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills (which Chico State split with earlier this season). Chico State will host Cal Poly Pomona and San Francisco State, which Sonoma State swept.
The Wildcats will be in Hayward on Friday to take on Cal State East Bay at 4:30 and then take on Cal State Monterey Bay Sunday at 2. They’ll return home the following weekend to take on Cal Poly Pomona on Oct. 12 and wrap up their 2012 regular season home campaign against San Francisco State on Oct. 14.
