Cal Poly Men’s Soccer fell short in its final game of the season, losing 2-0 to UC Riverside Saturday night at Mustang Memorial Field at Spanos Stadium.
After a scoreless first half, the Highlanders (5-7-5, 2-2-2 Pac-12) found the back of the net in the 53rd minute when Tarek Hamideh converted a penalty kick. Just over a minute later, Highlander forward Wyatt Ponting intercepted a clearance from Cal Poly goalkeeper Dylan Glowaski, dribbled toward goal, and fired a shot inside the left post to double UC Riverside’s lead.
The Mustangs (6-7-5, 1-3-2 Pac-12) fought hard to put pressure on the Highlander defense, finishing the match with a 13-8 advantage in shots and earning four corner kicks. However, Cal Poly couldn’t capitalize on their three shots on goal.
Forward Finn Linas nearly cut the lead in half in the 64th minute, but his shot struck the crossbar. UC Riverside goalkeeper Giancarlo Sagredo made three saves to preserve the shutout.
Glowaski finished with two saves for the Mustangs.
The loss ended Cal Poly’s season and postseason hopes, as the Mustangs needed a win to qualify for the four-team Pac-12 Tournament.