November 2, 2013
Highlanders 1 – Matadors 0
The UC Riverside men’s soccer team earned a much-needed road win against nationally ranked Cal State Northridge Saturday night, shutting the Matadors out 1-0 in an upset victory.
Richie Osborne found Juan Mendoza early in the first half for the only score of the game that came in the 12th minute of play.
Though the Matadors outshot the Highlanders 16-12 in the match, UCR’s defense proved once again that it remains the strongest aspect of the squad, shutting out Cal State Northridge for their sixth clean sheet of the season, a new team record.
UCR’s win over the Matadors gave the team their first win streak in over a month, dating back to the beginning of the season where they held a spotless 6-0-0 record before undergoing a major slump at the start of conference play in October. During that month, the Highlanders won two of seven matches.
Tied at third place with the Cal State Fullerton Titans, the Highlanders are currently in the driver’s seat for the third and final spot in the Big West tournament. With both of their remaining matches at home, the Highlanders have a golden opportunity to clinch a berth in the tournament.
Next up for the Highlanders is a match against first-place UC Irvine on Nov. 2, followed by a do-or-die against the Fullerton Titans in their season finale on Nov. 6.
