FULLERTON, Calif. - For the first time since 2017 and for just the third time in program history, the Cal State Fullerton Titans men's soccer team won the regular season Big West Championship after defeating UC Santa Barbara 2-0 at home on Saturday night.
The Titans (12-4-3, 6-2-1 BWC) needed just a draw or a win to secure the regular season title heading into tonight's game. Â The Titans headed into the match on top of the table with 16 points. Â UC Santa Barbara were right behind with 14 points and with a win, they would've overtaken the Titans.
Both sides were on the attack for the first half but it was the Titans who struck first. Â
Marci Killeen played a ball down the right side to
Erick Serrano. Â Serrano weaved his way past Gaucho defenders into the box drawing the goalkeeper's attention. Â He cutback a pass over to
Mario Carlos who slotted the ball into the open net to make it a 1-0 game for the Titans.
Rather than sit back and park the bus with a 1-0 lead in hand after the halftime break. The Titans came out attacking right away and had three shots in the first five minutes including two
Mario Carlos shots that were saved by the Gauchos keeper. Finally in the 59th minute,
Mario Carlos dribbled his way into the box from the right side and was taken down by a Gaucho defender for the penalty. Â
Sulaiman Bah stepped up and drilled the penalty to put the Titans ahead 2-0.
The Titans defense was able to absorb the Gaucho pressure for the rest of the game and see it out to secure the shutout.
Tetsuya Kadono picked up the fifth clean sheet of the season and the ninth clean sheet of his Titan career.
The Titans have locked up the top seed for The Big West Championship. Â The Titans will host a semifinal next Saturday against the winner of the No. 4 UC Davis and No. 5 Cal Poly game that will take place on Wednesday.
If the Titans are able to win next weekend's semifinal match. Â The Titans have also secured the right to host the championship game the following weekend.
WATCH THE TITANS ON ESPN+
Titans fans can now watch home contests exclusively on ESPN+. Cal State Fullerton has built a top-tier production studio to give the viewers an ESPN quality production for Titan Athletics. Additionally, all schools in the Big West Conference are committed to producing ESPN quality streams which will allow fans to watch the Titans on ESPN+ for all road conference games.
FOLLOW THE TITANS!
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titan Athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook/FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans) and Instagram (FullertonTitans). In addition, the men's soccer team has established its own Twitter (@FullertonMSOC), and Instagram accounts (@fullertonmsoc).
