CSUN Wades Through Overtime to Dispose of Cal State Dominguez

Traditionally, Americans want more from an athletic event than a group of young men kicking a ball up and down a field, occasionally putting one into a net and winning games with scores in the low single-digits.

So it’s no small wonder why Americans have yet to embrace soccer as a major attraction, tending rather to opt for football, basketball and baseball, games where the action is quick, the scores are high and the crowds are large.

But don’t tell that to Cal State Northridge Coach Marwan Ass’ad, his players or the almost 3,000 fans who sat patiently through two regulation periods and a little rain before the Matadors exploded in overtime to beat Cal State Dominguez Hills, 3-1, for their second conference victory.

“A couple more games like this and we might fill the stadium,” said Ass’ad, who in only three seasons has brought CSUN out of the college soccer basement and whipped the team into championship shape. “This is what soccer is all about. What more do you want from a soccer game--or any game? We deserve more fans.”

Hordes of soccer buffs crawling over each other to get into North Campus Stadium, remain to be seen. But true to Ass’ad’s ambitions, CSUN is a legitimate contender for the NCAA Division II title and a definite crowd pleaser.

The Matadors, who are ranked fifth in the NCAA, played sluggishly in the opening five minutes but keyed up when it looked as if Dominguez Hills was getting into gear. Twelve minutes into the first half, Mike McAndrew did what he does best--feed CSUN’s leading scorer, John Tronson. Tronson headed the ball for his ninth goal of the season.

Only minutes later, the Toros’ Ed Sanchez saw an opening and fired past CSUN goalie Phil Heaver for Dominguez Hills’ only point. Dominguez Hills, ranked 17th nationally, did give the Matadors a contest, however, eventually setting the stage for a little Matadors drama.

In the first of the two 10-minute overtimes, both teams were locked in a scoreless struggle to find shooting opportunities. CSUN kept the Toros on the defensive but in turn weren’t able to generate the plays that usually end with shots on goal.

If the first overtime was less than thrilling, thew second was large-scale soccer drama at its best. With a little more than five minutes remaining, midfielder Paul Stevenson found Frank Cubillos setting up off the the left post. Stevenson passed to Cubillos who cross-kicked past goalie Sean Quinn for what proved to be the winning score and the spark that set fire to an already boisterous crowd. Tronson added another goal with a minute left. With 10 goals, Tronson is the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.’s leading scorer.