CHICO, Calif. - Tame weather for September provided a picturesque night for the Chico State men's soccer team to host non-conference opponents Simon Fraser from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Wildcats are coming off the tail of a 2-1 win over Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponents Seattle Pacific on Sunday, entering Thursday's game 1-1 after a split trip to Washington.

Simon Fraser entered Thursday night's match with a win over fellow CCAA competitor Stanislaus State, holding a record of 1-0-1. The last meeting between these two programs was a 2-0 win for the Wildcats in Canada.

The intensity of the match picked up immediately, with flying tackles and tough battles for the ball breaking out across the field, but the Wildcats stayed true to their game plan. In the 35th minute, a throw-in from the right side flicked off the top of Sylas Sells' head to a pouncing Vasilios Syrengelas, who claimed the first Wildcats goal at home. The senior scored his third career goal for the 'Cats and Sells nabs his first assist on the season.

Emanuel Padilla and his defense secured their first shutout of the season, holding the Red Leafs to only three shots on target and successfully defending six corner kicks. Padilla was called to make a blind save against SFU in the 27th minute when a leaping striker found the ball at the back post, and the Santa Rosa native reflexively turned to deflect the ball out towards the corner flag.

Senior Preston Moll shut out any chance of a comeback in the 82nd minute with a left-footed blast around a five-person Red Leafs' wall in the bottom left corner of the net, opening his account in his final season with the 'Cats. 

Miles Rice and Syrengelas both tallied two shots on frame for the Wildcats, leading their team in the attack.

The Chico State men's soccer team will return home this Saturday against Saint Martin's, their final GNAC opponent of the non-conference section of the season. Kickoff is at 11:30 a.m. at University Soccer Stadium. Catch all of the Wildcats action on FloSports, or follow along with live stats.