SEASIDE– The SF State Gators had a heartbreaker this afternoon as they lost 2-1 at Cal State Monterey Bay in a CCAA match-up at the Otter Sports Complex in Seaside.  The Otters (5-2, 2-1 CCAA) scored two unanswered second goals including the game-winner with ten minutes left off a free kick for the 2-1 victory.
 
The Gators (5-3, 1-2 CCAA) took a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute as Armando Flores connected off a missed shot by Ashley Watson.  It looked like the Otters were going to tie the match at 1-1 in the 25^th minute, but the Gators' Emmanuel Jimenez made one of his six saves as he stopped Alejandro Garcia's attempt to tie the match.
 
Cal State Monterey Bay had another chance to tie the match, but Garcia's shot was blocked with two minutes left in the half as score remained 1-0 Gators heading into the 15-minute halftime.
 
SF State had a couple of chances of double its lead early in the second half, but Jakob Velega's attempts were blocked and saved by the Otters' Evan Drake in the first four minutes of the new half.
 
Then in the 57^th minute, the Gators were called for a foul in the box and the Otters' Chris Koski made them pay he connected on his first goal of the season to tie the match at 1-1.  SF State then was playing with a man down as one its players were called for a red card.
 
The Gators had a chance to retake the lead in the 63^rd minute, but Drake made one of his five saves on the day stopping Max Talbert's header off a corner kick by Sam Merritt from giving the visitors the lead.
 
Then with ten minutes left in the match, Emmanuel Corona scored the game-winner for the Otters as he connected on a free kick from Nick Stanley to give the hosts a 2-1 lead.
 
SF State had a chance to tie the score at 2-2 late in the match, but Velega's attempt sailed high over the goal as the Otters held on for the 2-1 CCAA victory. 
 
The Gators will return home this weekend for a pair of conference matches.  They will host Sonoma State this Friday, October 2 at 3pm at Cox Stadium.  Then one week from today, SF State will host Humboldt State at 2pm.
 
 Box Score
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Gator Athletics has a proud tradition of competitive success within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The department offers 12 intercollegiate sports programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Women's Track & Field, Women's Volleyball and Men's Wrestling.

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