THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - In the home-opener and first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) game of the year, the Cal Lutheran men's soccer team pulled off a physical 3-2 victory over Chapman on Monday night at Rolland Stadium.
"I'm very proud of our guys because they had to really fight to finish this game and to win it," said head coach Dan Kuntz. "Whenever you play your first league game at home, and you win, it generally says something about the future of that team."
The Kingsmen jumped out to an early lead after Pedro Zaccarelli and Brandon Kearney connected for the second game in a row. After a CLU throw-in on the right side of the field, Zaccarelli passed the ball into Kearney, who volleyed the ball into the right corner of the goal just under the keeper's arms.
Just seven minutes later, Chapman (1-1-1) capitalized on a CLU defensive miscue and tied the game 1-1, where the score would remain until halftime.
Early in the second half, Zack Larson broke away from the Panthers defense and gave the Kingsmen a 2-1 lead with his first goal of the season. The senior forward, who led the team in scoring last season, flipped the ball up over two defenders at midfield and sprinted towards the goal where he would finish with a bullet from the right side of the box.
The lead did not last long as an unfortunate foul in the box led to a penalty kick that Boston Kimmel would convert for Chapman and tie the game 2-2 in the 60th minute.
In the seesaw battle, Zaccarelli came through for CLU with a series of spectacular plays when they needed them most. The senior from São Paulo, Brazil took a free kick from just outside the box and powered it to the top right corner, nearly converting a goal if not for the outstretched arm of the Panthers goalie. Zaccarelli proceeded to take the awarded corner kick and found the ball bounce his way after an attempted clearance from the defense. He dribbled to his left before powering a bending shot into the back corner of the goal for the ultimate game-winner in the 69th minute.
Chapman put the pressure on in the waning minutes of the game but the Kingsmen defense stood their ground. Goalkeeper Sean Williams came through with a diving save to prevent overtime and preserve the Violet and Gold victory.
Overall, the Panthers outshot CLU 18-15 and held a 4-3 advantage in corner kicks. Zaccarelli and Kearney tied for game-high honors with four shots each and Larson added three shots, all of which were on target. Also adding a shot for the Kingsmen were Bryan Hulse, Spencer Gottmer, Casey Kurtenbach and Benjamin Gabella. Williams came away with three saves and earned his first career win in front of the goal.
Making their home debuts for the Kingsmen were junior transfers Nick Warren and Andres Mendoza along with freshmen Gabella, Gottmer and Charlie Villa-Lovos.
Cal Lutheran (1-0-1) continues SCIAC play this Wednesday, Sept. 9 with a road match at La Verne starting at 7:00 p.m.
Box Score: CLU 3, CU 2
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