SEATTLE – The Cal Poly men’s soccer program limited Seattle to just three shots on target during Friday evening’s season-opening matchup at Championship Field, but Redhawks junior forward Miguel Gonzalez struck the game’s only goal during the 39th minute to deliver the hosts a 1-0 victory.

Mustang senior midfielder Chris Gaschen and junior midfielder George Malki – recently ranked No. 68 on TopDrawerSoccer.com’s 2012 Men's Upperclassmen Top 100 list – forced Seattle junior goalkeeper Jake Feener into early saves while freshman forward Matt LaGrassa and senior defender Alex Loeffelman had attempts blocked inside the opening 20 minutes.

The Mustangs held Seattle without a shot attempt until Gonzalez, who got off a match-leading nine attempts, was stopped by Mustang freshman goalkeeper Wade Hamilton in the 27th minute. Gonzalez, however, kept chipping away at the Mustang defense and after seeing one shot go wide, he followed up on his own blocked attempt to notch the game’s only goal.

Whistled offside three times, Cal Poly saw a Loeffelman attempt stopped by Feener two minutes after the restart. The Mustangs, however, failed to register another shot until Feener curtailed attempts by Gaschen in the 71st and junior forward Mackenzie Pridham in the 77th. Seconds later, Mustang senior forward Benny Estes hit the post and Pridham’s follow-up header went high.

“I thought we played very well, controlled a majority of the first half and created a number of chances. We just didn’t finish them off,” seventh-year Mustang head coach Paul Holocher said. “I did see a lot of good things. We’re a possession-oriented team that likes to control the game. We saw a good majority of the ball throughout the evening, but we need to be more dangerous in creating chances and finishing.”

Hamilton recorded a pair of saves in his first collegiate start for Cal Poly, which continues its three-game road trip at Washington on Sunday, Aug. 26. Kickoff at Husky Soccer Stadium is slated for 1 p.m.

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