Cal Poly men’s soccer couldn’t capitalize on any of their nine shots and fell 1-0 against No. 15 Loyola Marymount University inside Sullivan Field on Monday, Sept. 20.
The loss was the second consecutive defeat against a ranked opponent for the Mustangs (2-3-1), who fell 3-2 in overtime against No. 25 Grand Canyon University on Thursday, Sept. 16. The win marked the Lions’ (7-0-1) sixth consecutive victory.
The game got off to a slow start, as the lone goal came early in the second half.
The first chance of the game was created by Cal Poly in the 14th minute when freshman midfielder Daniel Normann launched a rocket into the upper left corner of the goal that was saved by the Lions’ keeper to preserve the scoreless tie.
The Mustangs had their second major scoring chance in the 32nd minute off of a headered ball from freshman defender Connor Leber that ended up deflected over the crossbar by the Lions’ keeper.
11 minutes later, LMU nearly opened the scoring with its first threatening chance of the game after a loose ball in the penalty box was shot just wide of the left post.
Heading into halftime, the Lions had six total shots with zero of on target compared to the Mustangs’ three shots on target on four total attempts.
LMU ended the scoreless streak for both sides in the 56th minute when Noel Caliskan received a through ball in between two Cal Poly defenders and chipped the ball over the goalkeeper, giving them a 1-0 lead that would hold for the rest of the game.
The Lions continued their attack for the rest of the game as they looked to extend their lead, but junior goalkeeper Carlos Arce-Hurtado recorded two more saves to keep them at one goal.
However, throughout the second half, Cal Poly was unable to land another shot on target and finished the game with its three shots on goal compared to the two by LMU.
The Mustangs continue their stretch away from home as they play their final non-conference match against Blue-Green rival UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, Sept. 25 inside Harder Stadium.