Cal Poly men’s soccer managed a 0-0 draw with CSU Northridge (CSUN) thanks to an 86th-minute save on a penalty kick from sophomore goalkeeper Gabe Penner on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at Matador Soccer Field.
For the Mustangs (1-9-3, 1-1-3 Big West), this is their third draw in conference play while the Matadors (5-4-4, 2-2-1 Big West) have ended even with their opponents four times this season.
In the first half, both teams had three shot attempts, while Cal Poly secured the only shot on goal.
The second half produced a bit more action, as Penner was forced to make saves in the 56th and 57th minutes to hold CSUN scoreless.
Just 11 seconds after Penner’s second save of the half, the Matadors had a goal called back after they were deemed offsides.
The best Mustang scoring opportunity came in the 70th minute when freshman forward Sean McTague’s shot missed wide of the left post.
The big moment came in the 86th minute when a Cal Poly handball resulted in a CSUN penalty kick opportunity for Jamar Ricketts. He took the shot in the bottom left corner of the goal, but Penner was there for the save to keep the score tied.
With the game resulting in a tie, Cal Poly moved into a sixth-place tie in the Big West Conference with UC Irvine and UC San Diego. The three teams trail first-place UC Santa Barbara by five points.
The Mustangs will face off against UC San Diego as they look to break the sixth-place tie on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at Triton Soccer Stadium.