BAKERSFIELD, Calif. ? The CSUB men's soccer team ushered out its first season of NCAA Division I play with a solid all?around performance in a 1?0 victory over visiting Alabama A&M Saturday night on the Main Soccer Field.
Junior forward Towa Manda sent Bakersfield fans home happy when he scored in the 79th minute. Junior goalkeeper Steve Trojanowski made five saves for his second clean sheet of the season.
“We knew they were a good side after their result against Duke last week,” said CSUB Head Coach Simon Tobin of A&M's 4?3 win over the No. 17 ranked Blue Devils. “They are a skilled team and have good pace. But we have a bit of pace ourselves and we were able to take space away from them.”
The result was just as CSUB (4?10?4 overall) carried play for much of the match. Still, neither side was able to break the deadlock until Manda took Joe Poliforni's throw along the left touchline and made a short, darting, run into the box before cut back inside a defender near the left post. Bulldog goalkeeper Paul Musoke made a valiant effort to deny a shooting angle, but Manda calmly found the upper right corner for his career?high sixth goal of the season.
Neither team generated much of an attack in the first half. Bakersfield had three good chances to score in succession midway through the period. Anthon Snygg generated the most dangerous opportunity when the A&M defense picked his 24th?minute redirection of a Javier Barba far post cross off the line.
A&M (7?8?1) was most dangerous at the end of each half. The Bulldogs did a good job of building through midfield in the final 11 minutes of the first half but were content to shoot from distance and did little to trouble Trojanowski.
With a renewed sense of urgency following Manda's strike, the Bulldogs attacked with purpose in the final 11 minutes of regulation. They had two tremendous chances to equalize. Mosito Ranko had Trojanowski one-on-one in the 80th minute but slipped his 15?yard attempt just outside the far post. In the 89th minute, Mfana?Futhi Bhembe had a clean look from the top of the box but sailed his attempt over the crossbar.
