A piano employs 88 keys to produce its sweet-sounding music. It's not known whether Dylan Wakefield has ever tickled the ivories, but as he proved Friday night, the junior forward certainly knows how to tickle the back of the net when the Chico State men's soccer team needs it most. Wakefield conducted his own personal symphony by booting home the lone goal in the 88th minute as the Wildcats downed Sonoma State 1-0 at University Soccer Stadium.
Friday's win – Chico State's fourth in a row and sixth in its last seven matches – moves the Wildcats to 7-5-3 on the season and into a tie for second place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings with a 6-3-2 conference mark. The dramatic victory also enhanced the 'Cats' chances at finishing among the top six in the conference standings and earning a berth in next month's CCAA Championship Tournament. Sonoma State, which began the day atop the conference standings, fell to 7-3-5 overall and 6-2-2 in CCAA play.
Wakefield was far from the only hero in the Wildcats' win. Goalkeeper Damion Lewis stopped five shots in notching his fifth shutout of the year. Chico State's defense kept Sonoma State in check throughout the first half, as the Seawolves were only able to get off just one shot – and even that was in the match's first minute of play.
Chico State, on the other hand, had several scoring opportunities in the opening period, but none of the 'Cats' eight shots could find the mark. As a result, the two teams entered intermission in a scoreless tie.
The Seawolves were definitely more aggressive on offense in the second 45 minutes of play, racking up nine shots including four on goal that Lewis was able to turn away. As the still scoreless contest headed into the final two minutes, Wildcat fans were starting to mentally prepare themselves for overtime. But Wakefield and the Wildcats had other ideas.
With just over a minute-and-a-half left in regulation, Chico State was able to penetrate deep into Seawolves' territory. With Wakefield streaking towards the goal, Mikey Hirsch led him with a perfect pass from about 30 yards out. Wakefield went one-on-one on the breakaway with Sonoma goalkeeper Mitch North and punched the ball from point blank range just inside the right post to give the Wildcats the lead. The 'Cats successfully ran out the clock to come away with the thrilling 1-0 win.
Chico State outshot Sonoma State 15-10 on the evening, and owned a 6-1 edge in corner kicks.
The Wildcats play their final regular season match Sunday, playing host to Humboldt State at 11:30 a.m. It's also Senior Day, with Chico State elder undergraduates Rajaee DeLane, Omar Nuño and Isaiah Dargan being honored during special pre-match ceremonies.
