Gator men search for consistency

As Wednesday's game at Sonoma State drew near, Joe Hunter was looking for someone on his squad to step up in a big way. And fast.

In his first official season at the reins of the SF State men's soccer team, Hunter wants nothing more than to stomp all over his alma mater and Northern California Athletic Association arch rival -- not once, but twice if possible.

"I had some great days there," said Hunter, who logged six years with the Cossacks as a player and assistant coach before coming to SF State. "But now that I'm gone, nothing makes me happier than beating Sonoma."

And the Gators, who hung on for a 2-1 NCAC win at College of Notre Dame Saturday, are also well versed on the magnitude of the rivalry.

"Every year Sonoma State at Sonoma State is THE big game," said midfielder Matt Bolton. "And for sure Coach Hunter doesn't let us forget that."

The Gators win at Notre Dame on Saturday brought their record to 2-6 overall and 1-1 in the NCAC as they head down a crucial stretch of conference play.

After dropping their first NCAC contest to UC Davis and faltering in the second half against the Argonauts, the Gators are in dire need of a consistent outing.

"We have some guys that really need to step up for us to make things happen," said Hunter. "We had things in control (against Notre Dame in the first half), but in the second half we were here and there. We've got to be able to put games away."

Bolton said it's all a matter of consistency.

"I guess when we got up 2-0 at half (against Notre Dame), we just started taking them easy," said the Gator co-captain. "We know we can't do that against most of the teams in this conference, and I think we're starting to build the kind of team chemistry we need."

The Gators main scoring threat has been freshman midfielder Leif Lundaas, a transfer from Norway, who has tallied three goals. Junior forward Issac Salinas and freshman forward Carlos Aguirre have each scored two goals and one assist. Sophomore Aaron Linder has played well in goal for the Gators, making 44 saves.

Sophomore midfielder Chad Nakagawa served a one-game suspension against Notre Dame for an altercation that occurred after the Gators lost to UC Davis. Hunter hopes to see Nakagawa channel that energy onto the field.

"Chad's one of the guys we need to have step up and start making some plays," he said.

Results of the Sonoma State game were not available at press time. The Gators host Stanislaus State Saturday at 1 p.m.

[ Golden Gater Online September 28, 1995 ]

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