Alvarez scores game-winner for Sacramento State
Tucson, AZ (Monday, October 8, 2012) — Forward Ricardo Velasco may not have realized it but as he stood over the ball during the 28th minute of Sunday’s tilt with Sonoma State, a lot of history was riding on his penalty kick.
In 18 previous meetings, the Coyotes had never beaten the Seawolves. Cal State Bernardino’s best results were two ties amongst a sea of 16 losses.
But Velasco calmly converted his penalty kick to give the Coyotes a 2-0 lead and the team held on for an historic 2-1 win over its conference foe.
Velasco is the team leader in goals scored this season (4) and total points scored (9). Those numbers are more impressive when you consider Velasco has started in just six of his team’s 11 games and has eight total appearances. And Velasco doesn’t just score goals; he scores goals that matter. Three of his four tallies have been game winners.
Velasco was a late addition to the FC Tucson squad from the Real Salt Lake Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona. He made four appearances with FC Tucson and played a total of 317 minutes. He notched one assist.
How’d the rest of FC Tucson players fare this weekend? Check out the capsules below.
New Mexico
The Lobos played a lot of extra soccer over the weekend. On Friday, October 5, New Mexico suffered its first home loss in nearly two years when Air Force won 1-0 in overtime. On Sunday, October 7, the Lobos went into overtime again, this time in a 1-0 win over Denver in double overtime. Defender Travis Campbell started both matches and played a total of 200 minutes.
Portland
Portland suffered its first conference loss of the season on Friday in a 4-3 loss to San Diego. Midfielders Colin Anderson and Thomas Iwasaki came off the bench but didn’t earn a point. On Sunday, the Pilots bounced back with a 2-1 win over Loyola Marymount. Anderson scored Portland’s first goal in the 41st minute. Iwasaki came off the bench but didn’t score.
Sacramento State
Sacramento State’s first season in the Big West Conference is shaping up to be a memorable one. The Hornets won two more games over the weekend to remain in first place with a 4-0-0 conference record. On Friday Sacramento State downed Cal State Fullerton 2-1. Then on Sunday the Hornets defeated UC Riverside 1-0 thanks to a 74th minute penalty kick goal from forward Max Alvarez. His teammate, defender Michael Linenberger, also started both games and contributed to Sacramento State’s stifling defense.
San Diego
Midfielder James Cohn was a part of San Diego’s offensive explosion on Friday. The Toreros scored a season-high number of goals in a 4-3 win over Portland. Cohn assisted on San Diego’s second and third goals. The Toreros continued their winning ways on Sunday in a 2-0 win over Gonzaga. Cohn didn’t notch a point. Fellow midfielder Eli-Galbraith-Knapp started both games over the weekend but didn’t earn a point.
San Francisco
The Dons split another pair of weekend matches. On Friday night goalkeeper Brendan Roslund made four saves and helped San Francisco defeat Saint Mary’s 2-1. On Sunday, Roslund made two saves in a 2-1 loss to Santa Clara. Roslund has 35 saves in 10 matches this season for a 1.02 goals against average. Defender Danny Kirkland came off the bench for both matches.
Santa Clara
The Broncos won their lone game of the weekend, a 2-1 home win over San Francisco on Sunday. Forward Carlos Montes started and took a shot but didn’t record a point. Defender Wes Culver also started but didn’t earn a point. Culver and his back-line mates have allowed just three goals in their last six matches. Santa Clara is 5-1-0 in that stretch.
UC Riverside
The Highlanders failed to earn a point over the weekend after two heartbreaking loses. On Friday night UC Riverside fell to UC Davis 1-0. On Sunday night the Highlanders fell to Sacramento State 1-0 after a 74th minute penalty kick. Midfielder Aaron Long played a total of 109 minutes over the weekend, starting once and coming off the bench on Sunday.
UNLV
The Rebels split their weekend matches. On Friday, UNLV shut out Seattle University 3-0. Forward Nick Marshall didn’t earn a point, but he helped set up the Rebels’ second goal. Marshall drew the foul that led to the free kick that was eventually converted by teammate Mike Mota. UNLV fell to San Jose State on Sunday, 2-1. Marshall did not play.
Yavapai Community College
Forward Junior Gbapou scored twice on Thursday, October 4, in Yavapai’s 4-1 win over GateWay Community College. The win was Yavapai’s 14th win in 15 league matches.
