MORAGA, Calif. - The Matadors struck first Friday evening at Saint Mary's Stadium but the Gaels did not waver and scored three goals in a roughly-10 minute span to beat CSUN 3-1.

The Matadors started fast and their speed set up the first goal, as Jamar Ricketts raced around the left side and set up Khalid Hunter just inside the middle of the penalty box. Hunter flipped the ball up with his left foot and then kicked it out of the air with that left boot and blasted it into the back of the net for a 1-0 CSUN lead in the 4th minute.

But in the 19th minute the Gaels would answer with their relentless pressure and Jan Marpe's second effort after his first shot was blocked. Marpe pounced on the loose ball and took advantage of the keeper being out of the six-yard box to tie the game at 1-1 as he fired it into the goal.

Bourdanné Ngongfor put more pressure on the Matadors defense as he sped up the left side of the pitch and was taken down inside the penalty box for an easy call by the referee. Sebastian Schacht took the penalty kick and and for the second game in a row he would score the game winner on a penalty shot by placing one up high in the net to put the Gaels ahead 2-1 in the 29th minute.

Just over a minute later the Gaels would score again, as Schacht blasted a shot that was too hot to handle for the Matadors keeper and David Brog fired home the rebound for his first goal of the season and a 3-1 Saint Mary's lead in the 30th minute.

The second half was very physical with Brog and Schacht collecting yellow cards on some tough tackles and the Matadors being issued two late yellow cards as well. But the Gaels defense kept the Matadors from getting many scoring opportunities until late in the match, and the combination of Kash Oladapo and Nicholas Lapinid in goal kept the Matadors off the scoreboard after that initial goal.

The Gaels outshot the Matadors 15-10 overall and 7-5 in shots on goal and earned three more corner kicks.

UP NEXT
The Gaels will go on the road to play the Stanford Cardinal at 7:00 p.m. in Palo Alto, Calif. on Monday, September 27.

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