CARSON, Calif. — A year ago, St. Edward's men's soccer earned a road victory over a nationally ranked opponent with a last-second goal at Midwestern State. On Sunday, the Hilltoppers removed all drama with a 3-0 victory over No. 20 Cal State Dominguez Hills.
BARTEK ZABEK and MISAEL RANGEL scored in the first half, NEMANJA PAVICEVIC added a third goal after halftime, and KALEO PEREZ-FRANCIS made five saves to earn the shutout at Toro Stadium.
The Hilltoppers improved to 1-0-1 with their second road victory over a nationally ranked opponent in as many seasons. Cal State Dominguez Hills fell to 1-1.
St. Edward's scored all three goals by stretching the Toros vertically before quickly shifting the point of attack. The Hilltoppers repeatedly played over the pressure, found space down the right flank and turned those advantages into dangerous service across the penalty area.
Cal State Dominguez Hills applied pressure early, generating three shots and two corner kicks in the opening nine minutes. Perez-Francis stopped Lucas Galarza's attempt in the sixth minute, while the St. Edward's defense blocked two others to withstand the initial surge.
The Hilltoppers earned a penalty kick in the 15th minute but sent the attempt wide. Rather than allow the missed opportunity to linger, St. Edward's broke through less than four minutes later with a sweeping move from one side of the field to the other.
Zabek drew a free kick on the left side just beyond midfield. JAKE CICCARELLO restarted play backward to ARMANDO DON JUAN, giving the Hilltoppers room to pull the Toros forward before Don Juan switched the field with a diagonal ball over the back line.
The pass released IZAIAH GARZA into a one-on-one opportunity down the right wing. Garza beat his defender and drove a cross back through the penalty area, where Pavicevic let the ball run through his legs. The dummy wrong-footed the defense and goalkeeper, leaving Zabek open for a first-time finish into the back of the net in the 19th minute.
Zabek nearly added another goal in the 33rd, forcing goalkeeper Keegan O'Brien into a save, but St. Edward's continued finding production throughout its rotation.
The Hilltoppers doubled their lead in the 42nd minute by going direct from Perez-Francis. The goalkeeper's punt traveled over the Toros' back line and dropped between two defenders for RILEY BAROLDY on the right. Baroldy held off the pressure and laid the ball back to Rangel, who used his first touch to turn away from a defender, create shooting space and finish for a 2-0 halftime lead.
Cal State Dominguez Hills pushed forward after the break, attempting 10 shots and earning six corner kicks over the final 45 minutes. Perez-Francis remained steady as the pressure built, making three saves in a six-minute stretch against Galarza and Amaury Sanders.
The Toros forced Perez-Francis into his fifth save in the 74th minute, but St. Edward's answered at the opposite end 86 seconds later with another move that developed from deep inside its own half.
The Hilltoppers played a free kick backward from near midfield to Perez-Francis, stretching the Toros' shape before attacking the space it created. Perez-Francis sent the ball over the pressure to Don Juan, who delivered a perfectly weighted pass down the right side for Garza.
Garza ran onto the ball and drew O'Brien away from his goal before crossing toward Pavicevic. Sprinting through the center of the penalty area, Pavicevic met the service with one touch and redirected it into the open net for a 3-0 lead in the 75th minute.
The Toros finished with a 16-9 advantage in shots and a 9-3 edge in corner kicks, but both teams placed five attempts on goal. St. Edward's converted three of those five opportunities, while Perez-Francis turned away everything sent his direction.
PAOLO VELA and TIMMY HOLLENBECK played all 90 minutes on the back line, helping St. Edward's protect its first shutout of the season. Perez-Francis earned his first victory of the year and contributed to the attack with his distribution from the back.
St. Edward's continues its road trip Thursday, Sept. 3, against Fort Lewis College at 8 p.m. CT in Durango, Colorado.
