Sockers Open Preseason, Crunch Cleveland, 5-4

Rod Castro’s goal four minutes into overtime gave the Sockers a 5-4 victory over the expansion Cleveland Crunch Saturday in Cleveland. It was both teams preseason opener.

Brian Quinn added two goals during regulation and Victor Nogueira tended goal for the Sockers, the defending Major Indoor Soccer League champions. The Sockers begin the regular season Oct. 28 in Dallas. The home opener is Nov. 3 against Kansas City.

USD defeated Cal Poly Pomona, 3-1, in a nonconference game at USD. The Toreros (11-2) got goals from Mike Brille, Tom Crane and Andrew Kummer. Cal Poly dropped to 2-8-1.

Visiting Pacific Christian snapped a six-game losing streak and Christian Heritage extended its own losing streak to six as the Royals defeated the Hawks, 1-0, in a nonconference game in El Cajon. Pacific Christian improved to 2-8-0; Christian Heritage is 1-7-0.

CROSS COUNTRY

Point Loma Nazarene’s Goshu Tadese won his third race in as many weeks by winning the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto. Tadese, formerly of Crawford, covered the 8,000 meter men’s race in 24:31, a second faster than Steve Miller, who ran unattached. Nevada Reno won the team title. The Crusaders finished fifth.

San Diego State was second behind Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the women’s team competition. Laura Cativerra, unattached, ran the 5,000 meters in 17:06. SDSU’S Wendy Peterson (18:31) was sixth.

A split second separated the one-two finish by UC San Diego’s Mike Fox and Roger Webb at the Biola Invitational in La Mirada. Fox covered the 8,000 meter men’s course in 26:26 for the top individual time--Webb ran a 26:27--to help the Triton team take first in Division I. CS Fullerton and Pepperdine were second and third. USD won the Division II team title.

UCSD’s women took the Division I title, ahead of CS Northridge and SDSU. USD was fifth in Division II. Michelle Conlay of UCSD was second in the 5,000 meter race (18:27), behind winner Genevieve Graff of Christ College Irvine (18:26).

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Felicia Faro scored on a penalty kick to give UCSD a 1-0 nonconference victory over Cal Poly Pomona in Pomona. The Tritons, undefeated and ninth-ranked in Division III, have outscored opponents 43-0 in their nine victories. Pomona is 4-3-1.

WOMEN’S GOLF

After three rounds of play, U.S. International dropped from ninth to 11th and SDSU from 12th to 14th in team standings at the Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M. Tulsa has a 15-stroke advantage over second-place Oklahoma State.

Kelly Robbins of Tulsa is the leader with a 222. USIU’S Yuri Maeda (236) and Wendela Manting (237) are 26th and 30th going into today’s final round.