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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – With the 2018 regular season nearing its end, the HBU men's soccer team came up with an important 3-1 road win over CSU Bakersfield at Main Soccer Field.
Sophomore
Gianluca Natera attempted three shots, with two on goal, and took three corner kicks in the first 14 minutes of the game for HBU (5-6-3, 3-4-1 WAC) but the Huskies failed to find the net. In the 33
rd minute, a Natera shot was blocked and went out of bounds to set the Huskies up with a corner kick. Senior
Darrell Johnson delivered a ball into the box where
Dominick Faletto redirected the first goal of the game past CSU Bakersfield (4-10-1, 2-5-1 WAC) goalkeeper Detre Bell in the 33
rd minute.
HBU held onto that lead for less than 10 minutes until Ricardo Soza netted his first goal of the year at the 41:25 mark. The Huskies got shots on goal from both Faletto and
Devon Grant in the final two and a half minutes before freshman
Daan Snellink collected a loose ball in the box and knocked it past Bell for the eventual game-winner with less than 10 seconds left in the first half.
The Roadrunners put three shots on goal in the first nine minutes of the second period but
Jorge Cabrera was up to the task on all three occasions. Later, in the 70
th minute, Natera dribbled through multiple defenders before lofting the ball over the keeper's head and putting the game out of reach.
Dequan Thomas nearly made it a three-goal game with less than four minutes left but Bell came up with a tremendous save.
Natera now has five goals on the season, continuing to lead the team, while Faletto now stands at four goals for the year. Snellink's goal was the first of his collegiate career and Johnson now has two assists on the year. In goal, Cabrera made five saves and is now 5-6-2 on the season.
The Huskies face California Baptist on Sunday, Oct. 28, at 5:00 p.m. central in Riverside, Calif.