SSU's Comeback Falls Short Against #8 SDSU in OT, 9-10

Sonoma State lost to #8 ranked San Diego State 9-10 in overtime on Sunday, February 23rd at Casa Grande High School. The Seawolves are now 3-2 on the season. 

The Seawolves had strong showings on both ends of the ball, led by standout performances by Sophomore goalie Miles Dillingham (18 saves, 64% save percentage), Junior Captain Dylan Hardy (6 ground balls and 5 caused turnovers), Junior Nick Frangione (1 goal, 1 assist), Junior Dustin Smith (1 goal, 2 ground balls), Senior Devin Schulte (2 goals, 2 ground balls), Junior Captain Benen Powers (1 goal 2 assist), and Freshman Matt McCurdy (2 goals, 1 assist). 

In the first quarter, the Aztecs scored first on a transition opportunity where they got behind the Seawolf defense for an easy goal. Freshman Matt McCurdy was the first to score for Sonoma on a right alley dodge where he beat the goalie low on a well placed shot. SDSU would score the next two goals, leaving it 3-1 after the first quarter. 

In the second, SDSU advanced to a 5-1 lead midway through the quarter, but the Seawolves never blinked. Veterans and young players alike demonstrated poise to keep the game within reach with clutch goals from Freshman DJ Santiago and Senior Devin Schulte before half, leaving the score 5-3, Aztecs. 

Despite Sonoma trailing at half, the strong end to the quarter helped to generate momentum for the Seawolves that carried into the third quarter. For the second straight week, the Seawolves started the second half with possession and a man-up opportunity. SDSU successfully killed the penalty, but Freshman Josh Cooke scored on a feed from McCurdy shortly after numbers were even to narrow the deficit to 5-4.  

Later in the third, SSU would take advantage of another man-up opportunity, where Nick Frangione had the shot of the day, going bar down on a sidearm rip from 15 yards out, garnering a huge roar from the crowd. Frangione had a strong game throughout, setting the tone on a bone crushing hit along the sideline earlier in the game, swinging the momentum in favor of the Seawolves. 

In the fourth, the Seawolves continued their rally with McCurdy and Powers both scoring to open the quarter and bring the game within one score, with the Seawolves trailing 6-7. Sophomore face-off specialist John Heck came through when he was needed most winning three face-offs in a row against SDSU's returning First Team All-American FOGO Tristan Keyser, showing great promise for the underclassman. On Heck's second of the three consecutive wins on the draw, SSU was able to generate a numbers advantage by keeping two long poles on the field. That's when Dylan Hardy (close defender) found Dustin Smith (LSM) for a time and room shot that slipped by the goalie to bring the score to 8-9. This is the second game in a row that Smith has scored on an outside shot in transition, bringing back to memory his stint at offensive midfield during his sophomore campaign.  

In the final minutes of regulation, the Seawolf defense stood strong and were able to turn the ball over on a save by Dillingham. Offensively, Sonoma was able to take advantage of a slow substitution by SDSU, giving Schulte a step on his defender down the right alley. Schulte finished the goal with his patented righty side-arm shot and turned to the roaring stands for a memorable celebration with the game tied 9-9. 

Unfortunately overtime took only one possession, as the Aztecs won the face-off and were able to generate a clean outside look that would ultimately end the game and the Seawolves hope of an upset.

Sonoma State will take on Utah Tech next weekend on Saturday, March 1st at 12pm at Casa Grande High School. After that, the Seawolves will return to WCLL play for their first road game of the season at Cal Poly the following weekend. 

A special thank you to all the fans who made it out for the game this past weekend. The energy from the crowd helped fuel the momentum throughout the course of the game, especially in the fourth quarter. We appreciate all your support! 

Go Seawolves!