No. 8 Roland Demombynes was one of five seniors to play their final match on Sunday
ROHNERT PARK – For the second match in three days the Humboldt State men’s soccer team played the No. 14 Sonoma State Seawolves, and for the second consecutive match the Jacks took SSU to 110 minutes and a tie.
On Sunday the final score was 0-0, which ended HSU’s season with a 6-10-4 overall record, 5-8-3 in California Collegiate Athletic Association play. SSU finishes with a 13-3-4 record, 10-3-3 in the conference. They are the CCAA North Division winners, but stumble into the playoffs, winless in their last three matches.
"Overall, I am happy with a pair of ties against a program with the tradition that Sonoma (State) has," head coach Christian Johnson said. "Compared to where this team was earlier in the season, today we didn't give up any soft goals and battled for 110 minutes. I will take these results against a quality opponent anytime."
For the match, HSU was out shot by the Seawolves 23-5 including 7-1 and 8-2 in the first and second halves respectively. Of SSU’s 15 shots in regulation, only four were on frame and all were saved by Jacks’ keeper Kyle Verle.
"Sonoma State really showed why they won the North Division and are a nationally-ranked team," Johnson said. "They didn't allow us to play the type of possession game that we favor."
In the overtimes HSU was again outshot, 8-2, but Verle was up the to the test. He turned away the two Seawolves’ shots that were on target, ending the match with six saves.
Sonoma State, desperate to get any kind of momentum heading into the conference championship, played a physical game. The Seawolves committed 15 of their 28 total fouls and received two yellow cards in the first half alone. The 28 team fouls is a record for an HSU opponent this season.
The Jacks offense was led by the conference’s shot leader, Josh Suggs, who managed two tries on the day. Ben Vasser, Tony Ramirez and Brandon Perrier each took one shot. Verle, with a 6-9-4 record, earned his fourth shutout of the year.
The match was the career final for seniors Roland Demombynes, Zlatan Sahmanovic, Lloyd Sinclair, Ramirez and Vasser.
Lumberjacks (6-10-4, 5-8-3 CCAA) vs. Sonoma State (13-3-4, 10-3-3 CCAA)
Date: Nov 01, 2009 Attendance: 364
Weather: 71 degrees F, sunny, 2 mph NNW winds
Goals by period 1 2 OT O2 Tot
-------------------------------------
Lumberjacks......... 0 0 0 0 - 0
Sonoma State........ 0 0 0 0 - 0
SCORING SUMMARY:
Shots: Lumberjacks 5, Sonoma State 23
Saves: Lumberjacks 7 (VERLE, Kyle 6; TEAM 1), Sonoma State 1 (JOHNSON,
Brook 1)