[ Golden Gater Online - September 16, 1997 ]
Men's Soccer:
It was a bitter 2-1 double-overtime loss for the SF State men's soccer team Saturday against Western Washington University. But the loss wasn't the worst news for the team.
The Gators will be without junior midfielder Matt Magarian for the next game because of a penalty redcard in the second half. They'll also lose junior defender Carlos Aguirre for one game, possibly two, because of an altercation with Vikings forward Scot Swanson.
The two men, after pushing and shoving each other most of the second half, became entangled and Aguirre appeared to throw a punch. The referee then ejected both players.
If it is determined a fight, Northern California Athletic Conference rules clearly state, the players involved can't play the next two games.
"I want the team to know that every game will be a battle, and it is important to stay in the game. We had some guys with a lack of concentration today. I want them to stay composed and be thinking through the whole match," third year coach Joe Hunter said.
The Gators suffered two more player losses as both senior midfielder Paul and junior midfielder Ian Micklewright went down with knee injuries. To top it off, the team lost its top defenseman, David Bianchi, who was knocked out with a concussion.
Short a player from penalties, Hunter was forced to change his strategy. He pulled one Gator forward and added an extra defender.
"I kept our numbers in the back and they (Vikings) applied pressure which drew us wide. Once we went wide, it opened up the middle for them," Hunter said.
The Gators were staked to an early 1-0 deficit before rebounding in the second half.
After a shot by Swanson took a lucky bounce off the goal post and into junior goalie Anthony Poston's arms, the Gators went on the offensive. Junior forward Rodrigo Oliveira dribbled past a defender toward the Viking goalie Dave Green. Green ran forward, attempting to smother the ball, but then bobbled it. The Gators Oliveira was there to push the ball into the empty net, tying the score 1-1 with three minutes remaining.
Both teams failed to score in regulation play, pushing the game into overtime. In overtime, the action was fast and furious, but the Gators were unable to stop Vikings forward Josiah Johnson from scoring the game-winning goal two minutes into the second overtime.
Despite the loss, coach Hunter was pleased with the team's effort.
"The guys didn't drop there heads. They stepped up to meet the challenge," he said.
The loss drops the Gators overall record to 1-2-1, 0-0 in the NCAC as they travel to UC Santa Cruz tomorrow.
Women's Volleyball
Gators of the past were schooled by present Gators in a five-set Alumni match on Saturday.
The Gators jumped out to an early 8-0 lead in the first set. The team, led by senior Kris Larsen, took control from the opening serve, defeating the alumni 22-7 in the first set.
The game format, which called for five, 20-minute-sets, allowed the crowd a chance to see many of the players on both sides.
The Gators dominated the second set as well after jumping out to a 4-0 lead, and cruising to a 17-6 final.
The alumni, led by SF State Hall of Famer's Beckie Cattani Ellis, Sandy Lopez, Julie Frost and Angela Johnson made the third set close by stringing together five unanswered points. The alumni led 10-8. Momentum was quickly halted by the Gators thanks to middle blocker Larsen and outside hitters Dana Steigerwald and Pam Rigor.
The student Gators won the third set, 14-12, and the fourth set 20-6.
During the final set, which was played using rally-point scoring, the crowd, which began mixed, turned in favor of the underdog alumni. Though, even with the crowd support, the alumni fell in the fifth set 37-16. Despite sweeping the alumni, 19-year coach Kathy Argo still feels the team needs some work.
"We need to fine tune the defense and make serving more of a weapon. When you do that, you can eliminate some of the offensive options from the other team," Argo said.
The match allowed some of the players to get reacquainted with Argo and the SF State campus.
"Kathy is never going to change. She is, and will always be, a legend," the 1988 alumnist Ellis said.
The 6-2 Gators host CSU Bakersfield on tomorrow at 7 p.m.