Titans Making a Habit of Kicking UCLA

Cal State Fullerton is starting to make soccer victories over nationally prominent UCLA teams look easy.

The Titans surprised the third-ranked Bruins for the second time in two seasons Friday night, winning, 3-1, in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play in front of a 4,762 in Titan Stadium. The crowd, boosted by a promotion with area youth soccer teams, was the biggest home crowd in the program’s history.

Fullerton also upset UCLA, 2-1, last season in the first round of the NCAA playoffs when the Bruins were ranked No. 1.

This time, it wasn’t nearly as close. The Titans scored two goals within six minutes in the second half and handed UCLA only its second loss of the season in 13 games and its first in conference play since 1994. It was UCLA’s fifth loss to the Titans in the last 25 games between the two teams.

The victory gave unranked Fullerton (8-5) the upper hand in the conference’s southern division with a 3-0 record with two league games remaining.

“Our guys did very well,” Titan Coach Al Mistri said. “A lot of them are freshmen, but they rose to the occasion.”

The Titans broke UCLA’s streak of five consecutive shutouts with a goal early in the first half. Keiichi Yamamoto’s shot from 20 yards out deflected off UCLA defender Josh Keller’s leg and sailed over goalkeeper Matt Reis’ head for a 1-0 Fullerton lead in the game’s ninth minute.

It was the first goal UCLA had given up since Sacramento State scored late in the first half in the Bruins’ 6-1 victory Sept. 21, and also the first time UCLA had trailed at halftime since the Bruins lost to Alabama Birmingham, 2-0, in the fourth game of the season.

UCLA tied the score 10 minutes into the second half on Keller’s open shot off a corner kick, but the Titans came back strong with the two quick goals. The first came when Adam Black connected on a header off a corner kick by Jon Ginnaty in the 60th minute. Then freshman Duncan Oughton scored with an assist by Sheldon Thomas following a free kick.

“The turning point was our second goal,” Mistri said. “That gave us the upper hand on a good UCLA team. UCLA did a good job of handling Sheldon.”