California Baptist University
Fresno Pacific
LONG OVERDUE
10/10/2010 4:08:00 AM | Men's Soccer
FRESNO, Calif. --- It's been a long time since California Baptist University has won in Fresno.
It's only fitting that it finally happened this year, a year in which CBU is rewriting program records seemingly every game.
The NAIA's No. 7-ranked Lancers fired 17 shots, got a goal in each half and Jeff Redinger made six saves to set a program record with his 12th career
shutout to extend the Lancers' program-record winning streak to nine straight
with a 2-0 blanking of Fresno Pacific Saturday afternoon. It was the Lancers' first win in Fresno since Nov. 1, 1997.
The win moves the Lancers to 11-1 overall, 5-0 (15 points) GSAC. They are the only remaining unbeaten team in conference play as they snapped the Sunbirds' five-game winning streak, dropping them to 6-5, 3-1 (9 points).
The Lancers
also stopped a three-game losing streak to the Sunbirds but more impressively
picked up just their second win ever in 18 trips to Fresno.
"The guys worked hard to do what we needed to do to get a result at a very
tough place to play," said CBU Head Coach Ryan Jorden. "Fresno (Pacific) is a
very dangerous attacking team, and you have to be able to handle the things
they throw at you. We did a pretty good job at that, especially in the second
half."
Despite
a relatively even first half, the Lancers broke through in the 44th
minute when Tiburcio Casillas, who was making his first appearance since the
GSAC opening win over Westmont Sept. 25, capitalized on a mistake in the back
by the Sunbirds. He intercepted an errant pass and then scored from the top of
the area on what was one of just two Lancer shots on frame in the first half.
It was his seventh goal of the season, tying him with Osvaldo Bastida for the
team lead.
"We had
started playing better as the first half wore on and Tibu's goal just gave us
the boost that we needed," said Jorden.
Indeed, that goal turned all the momentum the Lancers' way as they out-shot the
Sunbirds, 11-2, in the second half. Then, in the 73rd minute, defender
Tyler Mitchell scored his first career goal to ice the game.
Heitor Santarem lifted a corner into the area. Jonathan Garcia got to it first and headed it towards the goal. Sunbird keeper Gildardo Villaruel saved it, but the deflection went right to Mitchell, who found the back of the net.
Mitchell, Redinger and the rest of the Lancer defense then killed the final 17 minutes to post the Lancers' fourth straight shutout, which ties the program record set in 2004. The Lancers have now kept the opposition scoreless for 442 consecutive minutes as they posted their seventh shutout of the year, one shy of the school record set in 2001. During this current string, the Lancers have kept three of the top six scoring teams in the conference off the scoreboard.
"It's not just the guys in the back who do the defending," said Jorden. "It really is a team effort, and the guys' willingness to work collectively as a unit is what is causing us to have success defensively."
Redinger's 12th career clean sheet gives him one more than previous record holder Brad Miller, who had 11 from 1996-99.
