Kingsmen Threaten Stags, Fall Short

CLU opened early lead in 3-1 loss

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Matt Hubbard (21) is congratulated by David Lee (9) and Nathan Davidson (3) following his first half goal and Cameron Rude keeps the ball from a CMS defender in the second half.

Photo: Tracy Maple

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.  – Returning home for the first time in two weeks, the Cal Lutheran men’s soccer team gave the SCIAC leading Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags a run for their money. The Kingsmen opened a 1-0 halftime lead, but fell 3-1 in league action at Rolland Stadium tonight.

CMS came storming out, controlling the momentum in the early going, but Cal Lutheran’s strategy was to continually mix things up.

Using a lot of substitutions to keep fresh legs in the game, the Kingsmen were able to hold the Stags off balance, despite both teams firing off seven shots in the opening half.

Danny Kuntz got the crowd into it in the 14th minute when he ripped a line drive towards the CMS goal, but it narrowly caught the crossbar keeping the teams scoreless.

It was, however, the Kingsmen who struck first. In the 42nd minute Matt Hubbard, who got his first collegiate start, scored for the third consecutive game to put CLU on top 1-0. Raul Yepez passed the ball and Hubbard faked out the CMS goalie, who went to the ground, before tapping the ball into the net.

After the intermission it was the Stags who took control, scoring goals in the 51st and 58th minutes, by way of Harrison Doyle and David Taylor, respectively.

Cameron Rude fired off a shot in the 70th minute, with the CMS goalie again on the turf, but it sailed just wide, forcing a collective sigh from the crowd.

Taylor added his second goal of the game, ninth of the season, in the 88th minute to all but seal the deal for the Stags.

CLU outshot CMS 16 to 13, with six shots on goal to the Stags’ five. Yepez led the offensive attack with five shots, two on goal, narrowly missing on two others. Kuntz, Hubbard, Rude and Nathan Davidson each tallied two shots.

Rey Rivera-Ramos played the entire game in goal and turned away three shots for Cal Lutheran.

CMS earned eight corner kicks to one for the Kingsmen.

Cal Lutheran (6-5-, 4-3 SCIAC) will be back on the field Saturday, Oct. 6 when they host the Leopards from La Verne at 7:00 p.m. There will be live video and live stats available.

Box Score: CMS 3, CLU 1

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