The Chico State men's soccer team did not allow a shot on goal and rode first-half strikes from Matt Hafizi and Ronan McEnroe to a 2-0 victory over visiting Cal State Dominguez Hills Sunday afternoon at University Soccer Stadium.
 
The Wildcats improved to 3-3-1 overall and 1-1-0 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association with their third shutout of the season. Goalkeeper Damion Lewis, who ripped numerous crosses out of the air, now has three clean sheets this season and 16 in his career. He's now seven shy of the school record.
 
Cal State Dominguez Hills, which was riding the momentum of a 3-0 win at Stanislaus State Friday, fell to 1-5 overall and 1-1 in the CCAA.
 
Hafizi's first goal as a Wildcat put Chico State ahead to stay.
 
The strike was set in motion when defender Garrett Hogbin tried to put the Wildcats behind the Dominguez Hills defense with a ball over the top, but slipped and wound up hitting a line drive instead. A Toros defender deflected the ball across the middle of the pitch with a failed volley attempt, and a second Toros defender, who was facing his own goal, tried to slip it to the center back.
 

However, he did not see Hafizi barreling toward the right post. Hafizi intercepted the pass with his left thigh before running onto it and angling a low shot inside the opposite post for a 1-0 lead in the 27^th minute.
 
Chico State doubled its lead in the 37^th minute on a combination play that started with a corner kick. Fabian Roman connected with DiAngelo Gleaves after he sprinted out for a short corner and Gleaves one-timed the ball back to Roman.
 
Meanwhile, inside the 18-yard box, McEnroe was positioning himself for the strike. McEnroe started nestled just off the near post, but as the ball was played back to Roman, snuck unmarked out to the corner of the six-yard box. Roman's cross sailed right to McEnroe, who flicked it on with a header inside the far post for his second goal of the season.
 
The Wildcats nearly added to their lead on a number of occasions, but were denied by Cal State Dominguez Hills goalkeeper Justin Fairchild seven times, including once on Jeremiah Egujie's penalty kick. Michael Hirsch also missed just wide on two dangerous tries inside the box.
 
Chico State finished with a 20-12 edge in shots and 8-3 advantage in corner kicks.
 
Playing 90 minutes apiece to key the defensive effort were defenders Hogbin and Justin Bethke, and McEnroe, the defensive holding midfielder.
 
Chico State will hit the road for trips to Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State East Bay, and Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona, over the next two weekends. The Wildcats will return home to face UC Santa Cruz in a non-conference match on Oct. 7.